Warpath
by Chris000
Summary: The Crew of the UNSC Phoenix finds themselves in the Star Wars universe near the end of the Mandalorian Wars. The cast of the last story now have something to worry about: How are they going to get home from this one?Halo/Sonic/Star Wars Reviews encourage
1. Chapter 0: Prologue

Warpath

Warpath

By Chris000

Chapter 0: Prologue

\ERROR\ Chronological Error\\

Date Unknown/Location Unknown

UNSC Destroyer _Phoenix _

UNSC Solider's Log Activated

Please Enter Password Now

Password Accepted.

Welcome Captain Christopher James Vennettilli

Serial Number 01979-07820-CV

/Begin Entry/

What the hell is going on here? First thing I know, we're ready to take a nice R&R trip, next thing I know: BOOM! Those goddamned Chaos Emeralds fling us into yet another universe. Funnily enough though (if you can call our current situation 'funny') I think I may know which universe we may be in. Judging from the styles of the ships and the accents these people spoke to us in, I believe that we are in the _Star Wars_ universe. Wow, I know. The man that seems to be in charge of the whole mess is Admiral Saul Karath. We'd better play nicely with these guys because their flagship looks as large as the _Indomitable_, but twice as deadly. What chance does a puny destroyer have up against _that_?

/End Entry/

The _Phoenix_ floated dead in space. Her engines gently sputtered a soft red as they tried to restart, but to no avail. A small leak in her hull sent a little stream of gray-white atmosphere into space where it froze into ice crystals. Lights were out in blocks all over the ship and the only ones that worked were the ones that illuminated her name and hull classification. Gravity had thankfully returned to she ship so nobody had to launch themselves off surfaces to get from compartment to compartment.

Captain Alan Perry stood with his hands clutching the brass railing in front of his command chair. His eyes were diluted from the experience he had just witnessed. Many of the crew on the _Indomitable_ had the same exact experience when they broke the universal barrier and headed to another Earth-like planet known as "Mobius" Perry couldn't help but stare at the _Courageous_, the massive red and white starship. All around it, delta-head shaped ships swam around it like a school of spacebourne fish. Even smaller fighters swished around the cruisers.

"Sir, the _Courageous_ is hailing us again." Ensign Callows, the COM officer reported. Perry tapped the glowing button on his chair arm. Instantly, the face of Saul Karath showed on screen. The admiral's face was strong but curious and his eyes looked at the Captain. "Admiral Karath?" Perry asked the Republic admiral. "Captain…Perry, was it?" "Yes, sir. What can I do for you?" Karath straightened his cap. "You can start by explaining a few things to me, Captain. First off, explain why I need to communicate with you via _primitive_ video screen technology. Is your holographic projector broken?"

Perry was about to respond. "I-" "Secondly," the admiral interrupted, "I would like to know what sort of ship this is. Those are definitely _not_ Republic Navy colors and your ship does not register in any of our databases. What language is your name written in? It's definitely not Aurebesh." "Sir," Perry said. He was perfectly capable of respecting the chain of command, even in this different universe. "I would be happy to explain everything on my ship here. Would you like to accompany me so we can discuss matters? Maybe even clear some things up?"

Karath turned to someone off-screen. "What do you think? Should I go or should they come here?" After a few seconds he turned back to face Perry. "Alright, Captain. I'll come to your ship. Of course I'll have an armed guard with me but that's perfectly reasonable?" Karath gave a small smile. _Does he think we're escaped fugitives or something?_ No, that's all right. Bring them over. Karath's face became straight again. "Very well, I shall arrive in twenty standard minutes. Be ready, Captain." The screen snapped off. Perry slumped back into his seat. A crewman offered to get the captain something to drink. Perry told him a glass of Jack Daniels. "Make it two. I feel I'm gonna need a lot more by the time this day is over."


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting the Admiral

Chapter 1: Meeting the Admiral

/ERROR/ Chronological Error/

Date Unknown/Location Unknown

UNSC Destroyer _Phoenix_

Captain Chris Vennettilli banged his head off of the bunk wall repeatedly. Every time his skin made contact with the metal he uttered a different curse. He was pretty sure that blood was starting to flow. His two other bunkmates looked at him in curiosity. His two roomies were Miles Prower, the genius Mobian, and Sally Alicia Acorn, royal heir to the Mobian throne. They stared at their human companion in curiosity. "Was _this _the reaction you had when you came to our universe?" Miles asked interested. The captain banged his head on the wall one last time. "No, it wasn't." he said. "Truth be told, I was actually more shocked the first time around. This time, it's more of an annoyance." Sally sighed explosively. "You humans are truly fascinating." Before Chris could answer back, the intercom pinged. The captain hit the call receive button.

"Captain Vennettilli, this is Captain Perry." Chris' voice evened. "Yes sir, what can I do for you?" "I need your team to report here on the bridge. Bring no more than four to help overlook a meeting for me." "I'll make it happen, sir." "Excellent, son. Perry out." The COM clicked off and Chris sighed. "So, who are you going to choose?" tails asked. "Well, first thing's first. Sally, you're my No. 2. I'll call Johnson and Ryan to also come along." Suddenly, the young fox anthro was all flair. "Hey, that's not fair!" Chris answered back tersely. "He'll probably call for you later. That's my decision, Petty Officer. The mobain backed down. Chris had mentioned his rank. Prower had known Chris long enough to know when enough was _enough_.

The Captain met his two other men outside. Sergeant Avery Johnson stood up against the wall, black, and ready for action. Johnson was actually six hundred years old because of a cryogenic tube accident that left him in a deep freeze. The other man: Ryan Percy, Chris' right hand man who had stuck by him for months. The Captain nodded towards Avery and Ryan. Ryan nodded his head while Johnson tipped his cap to Sally. Respect to Royalty.

"So what's going on?" Johnson said glancing around before taking a cigar from his pocket. Regulations strictly stated that combustibles, cigars for example, were a fire hazard. Johnson was smart though; he simply stuffed the roll in his mouth and chewed on it. "Why did you call us out, Cap?" Chris briefly explained his conversation with Captain Perry. "So he wants us to look over the meeting, give them a good first impressions and all that." Ryan piped up. "These guys are humans right?" Chris shrugged. "As far as I know. Come on."

The small group passed by many stunned naval personnel. They were still slightly shocked about the sudden and unexpected universal transition. A power conduit had overloaded near a corner because of the power surges. Three crewmen were singed by the blast and one of them was seriously electrified. Two medics carried his twitching form away. "You're _sure _you didn't go through this when you came to Mobius?" Sally asked staring sadly at the injured crewmen. "Like I said, we weren't expecting our transition. We thought we were doing a random jump. Unlike the _Phoenix_ here, she tried to resist the pull. Sally softly said, "You poor bastards."

They entered the elevator and the Captain punched the command deck. The elevator hummed with small gaps in the ascent because of now-faulty circuitry. Eventually, the car arrived at the bridge. There was a small _ping_ and the doors parted. The entire bridge was in action. Men and women were running from console to console trying to keep their bird together. Captain Perry was standing in front of the forward viewport with his eyes locked firmly on the _Courageous_. Chris saluted sharply. "Sir, Captain Christopher James Vennettilli reporting as ordered, Sir!"

Perry turned about and observed the Marine Captain. "Glad you could make it, son." He said in a gruff voice. "Sir, my men are ready to accompany you." Perry nodded. He fetched his command cap and placed it on his head, gently tugging the brim over his face, casting a dark shadow on his eyes. "OK, let's do this."

The Admiral's shuttle left the _Courageous_ exactly as he promised: twenty minutes since the end of their transmission. It was as small as a pinprick as it left the _Courageous_'s main shuttle bay. Saul Karath sat in the cockpit of the shuttle in a fancy chair with four of his guard with him. Each one carried a high-powered blaster rifle. The most important of these guards was the one that was piloting his shuttle. He was a fairly young man with brown hair and a formidable goatee. He piloted the shuttle with ease.

"Carth I can't tell you how much I appreciate you coming with me." Saul told him. "Admiral, it's my job to fly you around the galaxy, and take a blaster bolt for you if need be. I don't want that to happen here, sir." Karath chuckled. "Honestly Lieutenant, the captain seems like a gentleman. I don't think we have anything to fear." Carth wasn't convinced. "Well, we don't know who they are, what their ship is, or where they come from. They could be allied with the Mandalorians for all we know." The Admiral sighed. He did grant that point to Carth Onasi. Who were they?

"Want me to contact them again, Admiral?" Carth asked. Saul spoke in an upbeat tone. "No need. It seems they are opening their shuttle bay.

The Republic shuttle coasted through space. It crossed into the _Phoenix_'s gravity field and into the launch bay. A trio of ODSTs sitting on stacked crates watched the ship come in. The higher ranking one nudged a subordinate on the shoulder and cracked a joke about the ship. All three men laughed about it.

A Navy Marshall flicked his glowsticks around trying to get the shuttle to land. The man had absolutely no knowledge about these people but he decided to give the standard movements to marshal the ship down. Thankfully, the pilot seemed to get the picture.

Small struts appeared beneath the ship and its wings folded upwards. An ODST whistled softly as the wings tucked next to the tail. A small crowd of techs, marines, and navy personnel crowded around the alien ship. Perry was also present watching the descent of the shuttle, hands tucked behind his back. Suddenly, the shuttle touched down and a ramp extended from the nose. Saul Karath emerged with his men behind him.

Perry turned to Chris Vennettilli who stood next to him. "Showtime." The Captain said raising his eyebrows for a split second.

Admiral Karath nervously straightened his cap. He walked down the ramp onto the unfamiliar floor. All around him, hundreds of men and women stared at their arrival; some with awe, others with suspicion.

Saul was slightly unnerved by the ones who had mirrored helmets. He could not see their expressions. Carth sensed this. "Don't worry, Admiral Karath. There's nothing these guys can do to you." The Admiral sighed. "I hope you're right, Carth. The Mandalorians are becoming a major problem, and the republic can't lose one of their _Inexpugnable_'s." Carth scoffed. "Sir, the _Courageous _is fifty times this thing's size. I don't think we have anything to worry about." "Again, I hope you're right."

Admiral Karath stared up ahead. Captain Perry was perched on a raised platform with a black-clad, angular fighter behind him. Perching like an oversized bird of prey. Beside him, two men of young age, an older, dark-skinned one, and most curiously, one that appeared to be a Bothan with her hands tucked behind her back. He could tell she was female because of her bosom and female physique deeply accented by her uniform.

His eyes narrowed but played along.

Perry went down to meet the Admiral followed by his bodyguards. Perry and Karath smiled. "Admiral Karath" Alan Perry said saluting. Saul returned the gesture easing the Captain's fear of a cultural barrier. "Captain Perry. I feel it is an honor to be welcomed to your ship." "The pleasure was all mine Admiral. Should we move this into a more secure location?" The republic Admiral nodded. "Yes, lets. I feel it uncomfortable to be here with the other soldiers." Captain Perry nodded. "Right. Vennettilli, show the Admiral to the briefing room. I'll be along in a minute. I've just received a buzz from the bridge." Chris saluted. "Yes sir. Follow me, Admiral."

The man on Saul's right crossed over. "Hold it, pal. The Admiral's _my_ responsibility, and I'm not going to let him be shot in the back." Karath actually placed his hand on this man's shoulder. "Carth, we're among friends here, please don't give them the wrong first impression." The man named Carth took one glance into Chris's eyes and backed off. Carth's gaze shifted to Sally's. He clased with her stare for a second longer.

"Continue, uh…" Saul said. He was unfamiliar with this ranking structure. "Captain" the young man. He straightened his cap. "Captain _Vennettilli_? Quite an unusual name. Can I ask of your first?" the man turned around. His eyes were shockingly green. "My name is Chris. Why?" "Again, a strange name. And that's spelt…?" "C-H-R-I-S. With respect sir, you ask a lot of questions." _I have all the right_. "I'm just curious." Chris shrugged.

Saul turned to Sally who was keeping pace with a republic soldier. He was captivated by her for a moment. She caught his gaze. "Yes?" Karath snapped out of it. "What race are you, miss?" She contemplated the question. "It's a little difficult to explain, Admiral. Maybe we can clear it up in the meeting room." Carth cleared his throat. Saul rolled his eyes in annoyance. A few more moments later, They reached a door made of glass with unreadable words on it. A long wooden table stood before them with a wide window showing the gas giant, Bespin before them. Karath graciously took a seat offered to him by the dark-skinned male. Carth and the other soldiers refused these seats. The other humans didn't sit down either. Their guns weren't raised either so he could safely assume that they weren't going to be attacked.

He scrutinized the weapons: They weren't blasters. So he could only assume they were slugthrowers. They had long barrels and an angular is blocky shape. He spied a few with blue electronic screens with the numbers '32' on them. Primitive. Most primitive. Needless to say, Karath's men were also standing guard behind him, their blasters raised slightly higher than the opposing force. Before he could say a word however, the glass doors slid apart and Captain Perry walked in.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, folks. I had some important business to attend to." He put on a smile. Karath smiled too. Perry eased himself into a seat and spoke clearly. "Bianca, what is your status?" the AI winked into existence. Some of her body was covered in static. "I apologize, Captain. I am operating at 54 efficiency. The damage to the engines was more severe than we thought. I was able to repair some minor things such as the gravity, life support, and the holographic interface."

Saul and the other republic soldiers stared at the AI. Bianca blinked the golden hair out of her eyes. "May I help you gentlemen?" Saul stammered… "I-I…" He wasn't used to being addressed by a computer. Suddenly her image changed. She was now wearing a smart business suit. "I believe I am ready for the Captain's meeting." Captain Perry nodded. "Very good." He tilted his head to the admiral. "What would you like to know?" Karath's composure kicked in. He was now speaking in a clear, almost British-sounding accent.

"First off Captain, I would like to know which planet this ship is registered at. Is it a military vessel?" Perry slinked back into his chair. "Yes, this vessel is a military model. This beloved bird is the UNSC Destroyer _Phoenix_ registration number DDG-626." Karath quizzically cocked his head, obviously surprised by this information. "I see." he lied. "And from which planet does it hail?" Captain Perry took a second answering this. "It's from a planet called Earth. I don't expect you'd find it in your databases."

Karath leaned forward. "Captain Perry. I would like to point out that is a punishable offense to lie to a Republic Fleet Admiral. Below the table, the Captain's hand clenched into a fist. "Admiral Karath, I am not lying. Bianca, display coordinates for Earth on screen 2." The AI nodded. "Yes, Captain." She softly said. Mathematical symbols flowed up and down her body and soon, a picture of Earth snapped on-screen. A few orbital MAC stations were also in view. Statistics also winked into view including population, atmospheric pressure, and gravity. The admiral wasn't convinced.

How do I know this isn't a doctored image of our home planet, Coruscant?" at this, Perry laughed. "I was hoping you'd say that. Prower, you can come in now!" The doors slid open a third time and Tails walked in. He wore his uniform officially with the silver eagles on his Petty Officer rank polished. His boots were shiny black too. Chris stood up. "Sir, Petty Officer Prower was ordered to stay with the others." Perry spoke even louder. "I'm circumventing those orders, Captain. I suggest you let the man speak." Chris gritted his teeth but said evenly to his superior, "Yes sir."

Captain Perry gestured towards Miles. That was the signal to start talking. Karath, Carth, and the other three soldiers had full attention. The presence of an anthro seemed to have done it. "On June 1st 3235 of our calendar, the supercarrier _Indomitable_ accidentally initiated a Faster Than Light jump from a combat situation. The crew of that ship was transported to an alternate universe in which they encountered _our_ planet…"

Tails spent the next two and a quarter hours explaining the entire situation to the admiral, occasionally exaggerating certain story elements such as the Battle or Robotropolis and the Battle of Alpha Centauri. More than once, Karath stopped the tale to ask a few questions about general things he had mentioned such as '_Why was he so significant, How old was this starship, How does this calendar work' _and other random things. Miles ended the story just after the Zerg attack on Earth.

Saul Karath slumped back in the seat. He gently rubbed his temples trying to process the information he had just received. "So, let me make this clear: You humans are not from this universe." Perry, Chris, Ryan and Johnson nodded. "You two are from a different universe and are descended from _animals_?" Sally and Miles also nodded. "And if I understand this correctly, a _jewel_ transported you here?" Perry nodded. "Yes, that's what I believe. Bianca, call up schematics on the Chaos Emeralds.

The AI swiped her hand in midair. Her frame was replaced with that of a Chaos Emerald. "The jewel retains a typical igneous form that is brilliantly cut. So far, we have encountered around eleven but theories speculate that many more reside in our universes. Hundreds, maybe even thousands. Scientists theorize that a mysterious race of creatures called the Forerunners created these emeralds as well as large ringworlds called Halos.

The Chaos Emerald disappeared and a ring appeared. After the Human/Covenant war, all Halos were automatically shut down from Installation 00, the Ark. After that, Halos became stellar colonies where people went on vacation and to live. The Flood had also been eradicated by that time. "Hold on," Karath said. "I recognize these structures."

Perry cocked his head. "You have?" Karath nodded. "Yes. In my home system of Corellia, there's a massive station called Centerpoint. It's been around for hundreds of thousands of years, long before written history. Coruscant was still jungle, mountains. Erm…it's a vast planet-wide city now for stark comparison." The UNSC marines nodded in understanding.

The admiral's hand flew to his jaw. "Come to think of it, I believe I read something about a jewel in the Republic History Databases. I read them back in the Academy a long time ago. They had several mentions of crystals or emeralds as you described. They were Sith artifacts used to help them make jumps across the galaxy and beyond. Apparently these are the emeralds you're looking for."

Sally's hands clenched at this. "Where are they?" Karath ignored her refusal to identify rank. Obviously these Emeralds were very important to the group. "It's just a legend, nothing more. You seem real serious to find these things." Carth scoffed. "They sound like a bunch of damn speeder-chasers to me, Admiral." Perry snarled. "Think we're loonies, huh?" "No disrespect, Captain but your story…it's still not convincing." Saul intervened. "I've heard all I need to, though. If you will accompany me to Coruscant and we'll be able to discuss this with the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. We'll hopefully be able to help you find these Emeralds, at least before they ship us out again to take another crack at the Mandalorians."

Perry stood up. "Sir, we'd love to, but our engines are damaged beyond repair. Can we hitch a ride?" The Admiral thought it over. The ship _seemed_ to be small enough to fit in one of the larger launch bays. Why not?

Admiral Karath nodded. "Very well. I give you permission to land in the number seven dry-dock aboard the_ Courageous_. Two cruisers will assist you." He stood. "Captain Perry, I thank you for your time. I'll be back on my ship in a matter of minutes. I hope this whole ordeal isn't shocking." The Captain gave a small smile. "To tell you the truth, Admiral, the time for shocking has already passed. He saluted; the admiral turned on his heel, and left the room. Perry turned to face the Marines. "Good work everyone. Head back to your rooms, wait to board the _Courageous_.

"Well, that was exciting." Sally said after the Captain walked out of the room. "Yeah. I can't believe it." Chris answered. "So we're going onto the spaceship out there?" Johnson asked. "Yeah. Well, the ship is anyway. We'll go with it." Just then, the _Phoenix_ nudged to port.

The UNSC _Phoenix_ was pushed through space. Two of the Republic cruisers shaped like arrowheads pushed the diminutive destroyer through space. Repulsors on the nose of the ships thrust the Earth ship along the night sky. Crew all over the ship stared in awe at the giant ship closing in on them; only it was _they_ who were closing in. A few minutes later, the _Phoenix_ was left to drift into the shuttle bay.

"Okay, give me maneuvering thrusters" Perry commanded. The NAV officer responded, "Aye sir, maneuvering thrusters answering." The _Phoenix_ flipped in space. Eventually, the entry to the bay appeared. The proper counter thrusters came online. Bianca's form appeared. "Captain, I can fire thrusters at equal forces to move the ship at five per-cent. I can get us into the bay just fine." Perry nodded. "Do it." Small thumps echoed through the hull as the ship crawled through vacuum. Soon, the _Phoenix _was grabbed by docking clamps and an energy field slipped over the entrance to the bay.

The remaining ships got into position around the _Courageous_ one by one, each one slipped into hyperspace with a bright blue flash of their engines.


	3. Chapter 2: The Road to Coruscant

Chapter 2: Coruscant

/Chronological Databse Repaired/

via BCN 2780-31

/Accessing Correct Calendar/

Stand By…

October 16th, 3235, 1450 hours

UNSC Destroyer _Phoenix_ (FFG-626)

En Route to planet Coruscant via assisted Hyperspace jump.

Captain Alan Perry sat in his command chair on the bridge of the Phoenix. This was the first time in months that he had to relax. He couldn't imagine a time since he graduated from OCS that he'd be able to just sit back and enjoy life. He took a sip of coffee from a plastic cup and got up to walk around the bridge.

The rest of the _Phoenix_'s crew was dismissed for some rest with the exception of three Ensigns, a Lieutenant Junior Grade and a Lieutenant Commander who was second in command on the bridge. He regarded them with satisfaction, they were still checking over the ship even while she was perfectly safe inside this dry-dock.

Perry leaned against the forward window of the bridge taking in the coolness of the space beyond. He could see the prow of his beloved destroyer, the inner ring of the _Courageous_ and the whirlpool of hyperspace, which gave off a blue sheen. He glanced at his watch: 1450. They had been in hyperspace for nearly 9 hours since they left the planet called Bespin. Once already they had stopped at a planet named Corellia. He barely had time to seize the planet up since shortly after reappearing, they have jumped again. Later Alan would realize that if they had taken a straight shot, it would have taken 16 days. They had managed to shave it down to 10 hours.

He rounded the bridge one last time and sat down in the chair grunting in satisfaction. "Bianca, status report." He said. At once the AI appeared clad in her white robe. "All systems are functioning within normal parameters. Whatever those men are doing out there, it's working. I am reading the hull as 92 repaired, both primary and secondary engines have been fully repaired and our shields have…gotten a boost." Perry leaned towards the holotank. "A boost?" "Yes, Captain. Apparently these ships also have shield systems of some sort. Much more powerful I might add. They have replaced our Model VII system and replaced it with something…" She paused for a second, an eternity for an AI. "New, sir."

Perry turned towards the command tower of the _Courageous_. "What are you doing, Admiral?" he wondered out loud.

Captain Chris Vennettilli snored peacefully. This was the first real sleep he had gotten since the Zerg attacked Earth. His eyes were red from exhaustion and he desired the mattress, despite its hardness. He mumbled in his sleep slightly. Suddenly, the ship jostled in the turbulence. He yelped and shot straight up. He banged his head off of the metal girder separating his bunk from the one above. "Oww. That's gonna leave a mark." He said to no one in particular. He rubbed his forehead and turned to look around. Tails was not in his bunk adjacent to him. He glanced at his watch: 1456. "Alright, I'm up."

The Captain slid out of bed. By order of the captain, all crew members, Marines and Navy were issued an eight-hour rest period. Chris had spent 7 sleeping. In the military, getting more than 5 hours rest was a blessing. The automated shutters on the window hadn't even opened yet, not that there was much to see in Hyperspace. Many of the crew reported irritation in their eyes after staring out the window for too long. Man, the ship doctor had his hands full…

But he had to find his missing crewman. The Captain took a quick look around. Was his second-in-command gone too? No, Sally was still sleeping on the upper bunk. Chris smiled slightly. Her eyelids twitched as she dreamt. He stroked her hand for a second and walked out of the room.

The _Phoenix_'s main Barracks hallway was nearly deserted. Everyone was either sleeping, or doing something to keep their minds occupied. His first impulse was to check the Rec Hall on Deck 10. A teenager would want to play a game of Darts, Pinball or Pool. Miles was especially good at Moons, a variant of pool in which the laws of physics were reversed. In other words, the softer you hit the ball, the farther it went. In many frustrating cases, Chris had broken his own cue in anger after he had put everything he had on one ball, only to be dismayed that it barely moved at all. Ever since then, Chris never played Moons.

The elevator _dinged_ as the car got to Deck 10. The elevator went directly into the Rec Hall. Almost everything was deserted. No sign of a two-tailed fox anywhere. Chris scowled. Where else would he go? Observation dome? No, too boring. Bridge? Equally boring. Then it dawned on the Marine Captain: The launch bays. Tails usually tinkered with equipment when he was bored, sad or had a good reason, even when the equipment didn't even belong to him.

Chris tapped in Deck 7: Launch Decks. The car hummed as it went up through the ship. Then it stopped and the doors opened. _Aha_.

Miles "Tails" Prower was sitting on the launch platform working on his sweetheart, the Tornado. Somehow, Tails had gotten the jet fighter on the ship before they cast off. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Prower had only logged in 3 hours of rest. Maybe it was because of the Hyperspace turbulence, maybe it was because of a nagging feeling, but whatever it was, Tails just couldn't go to bed.

The young Petty Officer had gotten out of bed, got dressed and left the room seeking the comfort of his work. He didn't look back at his two snoring companions as he left. A skeleton crew only manned the bay. Only a single tech manned each launch platform. The Tornado sat on Platform 3. He instructed the crewman to grab him a box of tools. The Navy tech obliged and in moments, Prower was cutting through Titanium-A plating with an arc welder.

Tails was interested with the Republic ships, how they were able to have such advanced shielding technology. Until recently, the system being tested on the small ships such as the _Phoenix_ was the epitome. He was aiming to get a smaller shield unit installed on the Tornado so it could be utilized in dogfights. He could maybe even use it so that the hull wouldn't be breached so easily on his little jet.

He was mulling the thought over in his head when Captain Vennettilli arrived. He knew his solid, yet springy footfalls.

"Miles?" He asked. The Mobian shut off the arc welder in a snap. "Hey." He said evenly raising the mask that was over his eyes. "I had a feeling I'd find you here." Tails didn't turn to meet the officer. Maybe he was still sore that Chris hadn't invited him on the first go and he needed permission from the Captain. Chris took off his cap and ruffled his hair. _Regulations be damned_. "Look, Tails. I'm sorry that I didn't pick you to come at first. The captain wanted people who could raise a fight just in case one broke out.

Tails put the arc welder into his toolkit. "Thanks for the apology but that's not what I'm upset about." Chris cocked his head and sat down on a crate. "Then what's on your mind? I can help if you want." The Mobian met eyes with the Human, green met blue. "I've got a feeling, a _bad_ feeling about what's going on here. I think it might involve the Admiral.

"Tails, the Admiral is friendly. I don't know about his lap dog, Carth but I don't think we have anything to worry about." Tails found a ratchet and begun to crank a few nuts by this time. "Believe what you want to believe my Human friend. All I'm saying is I'm getting a real bad vibe from this guy."

Admiral Karath had sent Carth Onasi aboard the strange Earth ship to gather more information about the humans. Carth had donned the uniform of a typical Republic soldier. Some of the crew of the _Phoenix_ still scrutinized Onasi. He inspected the weapons range where he witnessed the humans firing their archaic weaponry. He did admire the 7.62mm rounds chewing apart the fiberglass targets. He toured the Fusion reactors and was instructed to leave after entering a restricted area by a Major. The Gym came next where he was intimidated by a meaty ODST who was lifting weights at the time. "What are you looking at, meat?!" The Special Forces soldier growled, no, barked at him.

Carth also interviewed some of the Mobain Crew Members. A Feline techie, a Canine gunnery officer, and even Sally Acorn herself when she had woken up. She wasn't in the mood to talk though and Carth was surprised with lack of modesty. All she wore was a blue vest and boots. She remarked at this, "It doesn't matter weather I'm naked, nobody around here seems to care. Now excuse me, _Lieutenant_, but I _need_ to take a goddamned shower!"

"Gee, they don't make 'em like that back on Telos!" He remarked to himself and smiling slightly. He inspected the launch bays and found the Captain and his small fox companion. "Captain Vennettilli." He said promptly. The other human spun around. "Lieutenant Onasi. What can I do for you?" Carth looked around. "Uh, I just wanted to look around, get a better view of my surroundings. I mean there's a good chance that the Republic just won't let this ship go. They'll want the Admiral and the rest of the top brass to comb her over. Then, there's a good chance I'll be there too."

"Ask me anything, I've only been here two days! I was supposed to be resting on a beach by now with my girlfriend!" "Well, everything here seems to be low-tech, not a lot of real interesting stuff. For instance, those vehicles with the guns on the back…" "Warthogs?" "Yeah, those. Why haven't they gotten any repulsor technology on them? Why is everything on this ship so damn recessed?" Chris was confused.

"Well, we were in a war a few hundred years ago with an alien race. Nasty stuff. Our planet's population was whittled down to 28 million. What did we do? We rebuilt. 682 years of rebuilding from the ash, reproducing, and rediscovering. We're doing the best we can. We have been able to make the total population of Earth 1 trillion if you can believe that! We have discovered artificial gravity, Faster Than Light technology, and shields. That's quite an accomplishment." Carth asked, "So, what about the wheels?" Chris chuckled, "Wheels _never_ go out of style my man, sticking to the old ways never goes out of style. That's why you don't see many laser guns around. Yeah, we have them, but they suck!" Carth had heard enough. He was about to leave when Chris fired, "What's so great about this Republic of yours?"

Carth contemplated this question in his head. _What makes the Republic so great_? It was an easy question with no easy answer. Carth exhaled and decided to go with the answer that he felt was right. "The Republic defines us. It's a very symbol of human and alien unity. We've had the Republic with us for well over 20,000 years." Tails and Chris gave a small whistle in amazement. "You're lucky." The Captain said. "We've only had a worldwide government for just less than 1100 years." Carth cracked a smile. "You're getting there." He cleared his throat then resumed. "The Republic represents all we are fighting to protect, all we are striving to be." "Like a religion?" Tails asked.

"It's much bigger than a religion, Petty Officer." Carth said. "The Republic is _literally_ what holds the galaxy together. I'm just lucky to be apart of it." "Not everyone supports the Republic?" Carth stared thoughtfully at the fox. "Every government has those against them. The war with Exar Kun nearly tore us apart." Tails ears perked up. "Exar Kun, who was he?" Carth waved him away. "Ah, he was no-one important. I bet you'll hear all about him when we get to Coruscant." Just then, the elevator pinged. Sally Acorn walked out. Her hair and fur was still slightly damp from the showers and she wore her vest and boots. Carth stared at her when she walked down the ramp to Chris' side. "Well, well, well. If it isn't your friend the pervert!" Carth took a double-take. "Pervert? I…you little…I was just surprised that you had no sense of modesty! In front of a kid, too!" Tails coughed.

"Uh actually, in our culture it isn't very much important to wear clothing. Yeah, we do for public purposes but it's not required." Carth snickered. "You learn something new every day. Look, I've got to get back to the Command Bridge. Admiral Karath's gonna want my report soon…" he froze. Just the way Sally was leaning on Chris, the way they both were standing. He had to ask. He knew it was wrong, but he had to: "Is _this_ your 'girlfriend'?"

"Yeah I am if you have a problem with it." Sally said and clutched Chris' hand. The Captain glared down at it in uncertainty. "Oh, no no. I have no problem with that." He half-lied. "I just find it a little bit surprising." Carth _didn't_ have a problem with it, he just preferred Humans to be with Humans, Bothans with Bothans, Sullistan with Sulliastan…spots and stripes.

Bianca's voice chimed on the COM. "_Attention all personnel, the UNSC _Phoenix_ is about to exit Hyperspace. All crew members are to report to their action stations._" "I'd better get going." Carth said turning on his heel and heading to the hardpoint where the two ships met. The three beings walked back to their bunks. "Did you sleep alright?" Chris asked with his arm around Sally's shoulder. Her hair smelt good. Probably the new shampoo. "Yeah, but I kept having this real weird part about a building or something." Chris stared into space.

"Maybe it was just a dream. I get much weirder dreams than that." Tails brought up a memorable one. "Yeah, I remember when you had one when you were being chased by the mutant green potato chip. You were running out of your room screaming "_It's gonna eat me! Karma's biting me in the ass!_" Sally covered her mouth with her hand to stop spittle flying into the elevator shaft. "Real classy, Tails." The Captain said in a chiseled voice, his jaw jut out slightly. He did not like that particular memory.

Johnson, Ryan and Bunnie were standing outside their room. Bunnie Rabbot was Sally's oldest friend. She often received curious glances from the Human crew. This was account of her metallic left arm and legs (much to her personal pleasure, she was relieved that only the legs were roboticized and nothing important above). She hugged Sally tightly when they saw each other. "Those Republic boys look mighty cute, shugah. I saw one pass by here with a bit of stubble on his cheeks, whoo-_whee_!"

Johnson and Ryan saluted to the Captain. Chris returned the gesture. "Hey, I'm cooled down though. Unless I say so, no need to salute or ask permission to speak." "Right sir." Johnson said "Is it just me or am I getting a bad vibe about these new players?" "Like what?" Chris said interested. "Well, how come they were able to find us so fast? How come that Admiral dude was so nice? Back in the day, a _real _Admiral would have searched this tub from stem to stern looking for anything that didn't show his face in it." Johnson said chewing on his cigar. "Well, I still think we can trust him for now." Bianca chimed in again, "_Exiting hyperspace now_." The ship rapidly decelerated. The group nearly lost their footing. "Wow! That was much rougher than Slipspace!" Sally noted. "Maybe because we were going so fast, we needed to slow down real quick! Imagine what would happen if we jumped and we were unprotected!" Johnson laughed out loud. "We'd be pancakes on that wall over there!" He pointed down the hall.

"Precisely! Man, this changes so many tactics now!"

The deceleration threw the bridge crew slightly forward. Several computer operators gripped onto their chairs as they transitioned to normal space. Then, normal stars appeared and a large planet was below them. Wherever they looked there was light spread all over the globe. It would look just like Earth only there was no oceans of any type on the surface. "It's beautiful." Perry said more to himself than anyone else. Bianca's display popped on. The Captain edged straighter. "Captain Perry. I have made a major breakthrough with the language system." Perry nodded. "Very well, report." "Sir, I've discovered that this entire language of Aurebesh is remarkably similar. The letter names even sound similar, the name Aurebesh since the letters Aurek and Besh make it up, just like the Alphabet! A and B from the Latin time periods!" Perry nodded. It was a start. "The grammar structures even follow the same principles as ours. I can make a direct translation and it is literal. No allusions or communiqués. I can upload the translation software immediately." The Captain tipped his hat in acknowledgement and Bianca disappeared. Karath's face popped on-screen.

"Captain Perry, the Supreme Chancellor requests your presence in the Senate buildings. I can offer a few fighters as escorts but you'll need to fly the _Phoenix _to the Senate landing pad yourself." "I can do that. Thank you Admiral." Karath nodded and the screen snapped off. There was a dull _thump_ that resonated from the hull and the _Phoenix_ floated free in space. A small red line indicated their trajectory to the pad. "Captain, satellite imaging reports a high amount of civilian traffic and buildings. I request that I take control and guide us in for the final landing." Bianca insisted. She waved her virtual locks from her eyes. "Very well, Bianca. Take us to a hundred per-cent forward." Data scrolled across her body and the _Phoenix _moved. "Engines answering full speed." She reported. The thrusters angled the approach vector into Coruscant's atmosphere. The Bridge crew kept on looking at the information. "Heat shields holding, sir." Ensign Callows reported. "Fusion reactors still in the green."

Orange fire streaked the destroyer. Two of Karath's Aurek fighters flew alongside the UNSC ship clearing aside local traffic. Within forty seconds, the ship was within Coruscant's atmosphere. "I'll be damned." Perry said rubbing his eyes.

Skyscrapers jutted through the clouds like silver swords. Building upon building stretched on forever. Lines of traffic criss-crossed the sky like a checkerboard, much like that of Earth. Many of the bridge crew whistled and a few suffered jaw-drop. "Flying in this airspace is no small task, Captain." Bianca complained. "Hitting the buildings is a large possibility at this speed. Honestly." Despite this, Bianca flew rather well. Not once did she come even close to nicking a flying car. AIs truly were self aware when they were modest. The Captain rolled his eyes. "Sir, judging from radio chatter from the two pilots, I think that the odd mushroom-shaped building is the Senate."

Perry had to agree. It certainly seemed important enough to be the Senate. Bianca found an excellent parking space behind the building and easily edged the eight thousand-ton ship onto the landing platform. Struts from the _Phoenix_ held up her immense weight and the ground rumbled when the ship touched down. Perry unclipped his safety belt and said out loud, "Welcome to Coruscant!"


	4. Chapter 3: The Senate

Chapter 3: The Senate Chapter 3: The Senate

October 16th, 3235, 1520 hours

Planet Coruscant

Senate Building landing pad

Small forces of Marines were selected to exit the ship. The Captain and his squad were chosen along with a few members of the 196th Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST)s. Unlike Captain Kanow of the last ship he was on, the Marines did _not_ get along well with these Helljumpers. Captain Vennettilli and the Helljumper commander, Captain Tyrell Banks nodded heads, only Chris couldn't see Banks' face because of the mirrored helmet.

Captain Perry strode out of the ship, hands behind his back. He blinked his eyes in the Coruscanti high noon. The Marines saluted as their commanding officer passed by. At the end of the walkway stood a single human with flowing white hair. _This must be the one in charge_, Perry pondered in his head. He approached the man and he said in an even voice: "Your Excellency?" the Supreme Chancellor smiled. "Admiral Karath has briefed me on your problem. I find it a little interesting that you are not from this galaxy or even this _universe_." "Yes, we've had a little bit of a rough day." The Supreme Chancellor smiled. " Perhaps we can discuss this in my office?" Perry nodded. "Yeah, I need to sit down."

The two men walked through the bowels of the Senate building. Perry was in shock with all the other alien races walking beside him. The Chancellor noted this uneasiness within the Navy Captain. "I can see you are uncomfortable with all the non-human races here." Perry nodded. "Well, yeah. You see where we come from; we've only discovered a few alien species. Here, I can see hundreds without turning my head!" The Chancellor laughed for a second, and then coughed heartily. "I apologize, I am an old man. Well, Captain. I can see that our culture will take some getting use to. Here's my office."

The Chancellor went to his office door. Two guards with rifles stood at attention with rifles. They stood even straighter when the Supreme Chancellor walked past as if his wake make them icy solid. "I thought you used lasers. Why do your guards use projectile weaponry?" The Chancellor didn't even look back. "Ceremonial purposed Captain. They are loaded and can do as much damage as a blaster can. Impossible to deflect too. Here we are."

The room was quite spacious. At the far end, there was a single desk with a curving window. Cityscape covered the entire sky and flying cars and ships cut through the sky. "Sit, Captain." Perry obliged and took off his hat. He rubbed his black hair smooth. "Admiral Karath tells me that you are trapped here. Is that correct?" Alan responded with a level voice. "Yes sir. We don't know how to get back. The only possibility seems to be this jewel that was said to exist twenty thousand years ago."

The Supreme Chancellor watched Captain Perry with serious eyes. "I see." He said simply. A device beeped on his desk. He checked the address. "Perhaps we can get to the bottom of this now." He tapped the pad and Admiral Saul Karath rose from the desk. "Sir, all my ships are in position. We are ready to jump to Vanquo at your…Oh," The hologram said turning to see Perry. "Am I interrupting something, Chancellor?" The Chancellor waved his hand in a way Perry interpreted as '_of course not!_' "No, Admiral. In fact, can you join us for a quick moment?"

The hologram argued with someone they couldn't see. "No, Onasi! I'll only be a minute!" He then turned to the Chancellor. "What can I do, sir?" "We need to discuss this man's issue. I presume you mentioned the ancient Sith Blood Emerald?" Karath's hologram shrugged. "Yes, but it's only a myth!" At this the Chancellor cut across, "It's no myth! It does exist!" He selected a holobook from his personal bookcase recessed into the wall. An unmarked tome was picked out. The Supreme Chancellor punched in a few buttons and a blue representation of the Blood Emerald appeared.

"Ah, here we are. '_The Ancient Sith Blood Emerald was an ancient jewel thought to possess power far into the reaches of the Force. Before the Great Hyperspace war, a small group of exiled Sith used this jewel discovered on their home-world of Korriban to travel through space at incredible speed. The hypothesis is that the Emerald was considered more powerful than the hyperdrives introduced by the Ancients 20,000 years ago. There have been many assurances that other jewels such as the Blood Emerald has existed throughout the Galaxy, but only ten have proved to be as powerful as he original. Sadly, all the Emerald locations have been lost to time._'"

Perry rubbed his temple. Even Karath was still. "I see that you may need to do some searching for this Emerald." The Chancellor caught Perry's uneasy glace. "Something wrong, my friend?" "It's just; we were supposed to be on R&R. We have just recently defeated an enemy and my men need some rest." The Chancellor sat back in his seat. I can give you some support, but not a whole lot. We are also in a war and we need every ship, man and weapon we can get our hands on. Rest assured though Captain, you will get your support when you need it."

Perry nodded. "Thank you Chancellor." He stood up to leave. Karath's hologram said, "Sir, not that I don't like listening to fairy tales such as this but I have a fleet to move." The Chancellor nodded. "Understood, Admiral. You have permission to move the fleet out. Good luck." Karath's hologram smugly crossed its arms. "I won't need it."

There was a cool breeze outside. It was enough though to make the Marines shiver though. It could have also been the unfamiliar setting. The Marines had orders to stay in their places but curiosity killed the cat. Even the squad leaders couldn't help but look around. At the time, Captain Vennettilli was peering over the edge of the landing pad. He had taken an empty shell casing from his utility belt and dropped it off the edge. He followed its progress with his battle rifle's scope until it disappeared completely from sight. He whistled.

Ryan was busy inspecting a soldier's blaster technology. The young Republic Private had obligingly handed over the heavy blaster cannon to the UNSC Marine. Sally was conversing with a human senator who was very interested in what she had to say on positions of slavery. Two other members of Chris' squad Privates First Class Santorini and McGregor were taking pictures of the skyscrapers to show their loved ones. If they had a chance to get back to their loved ones.

A hooded figure was standing behind a pillar. He stared intently at the young fox. He had sensed that something arrived on this planet and he had the strongest sense of it. He knew what it was. It was the Force. The hooded figure walked into the sunlight with his eyes locked on the young anthro. He casually strode past Republic soldiers and UNSC Marines. He accidently brushed too close to Captain Banks of the ODSTs.

Tyrell's anger was immediate. "Hey, what the fuck, man?" He pushed the figure. The man stumbled but regained his footing. "You listening to me, bitch?" he said. The hooded man clenched his jaw and waved his hand in front of the man. "There's no need to get angry. It was an accident." The ODST shook his head. "Yeah…whatever you say. It was an accident." His Lieutenant shook Banks' arm. "You OK, man?" He asked.

He was close now. Many around him had the call of the Force. All life did, but he could sense there was something in this boy. "Excuse me." He said curtly and politely.

Tails wheeled around. "Yes?" He said at once. The man lowered his hood. A man with short blond hair and stunning blue eyes looked at him. "My name is Kavar. I am a Jedi Master. What is your name?" "M…My name is Petty Officer Miles Prower." Tails said a little nervously. "You seem a little young to be in the military don't you think?" "I'm a science officer." He said evenly. "I see." Kavar said. "Is this your ship?" He said interestedly at the _Phoenix_ which blocked out some of the sun. "I've never seen its type before." "Well, we're not from around here. We're fro-" "Tails! What's going on?" a voice said. Both of them looked to see Captain Vennettilli walking towards them with his battle rifle raised. "Who are you, pal?" He said pointing the gun towards the man. He lowered it slightly when he saw the man's lightsaber hilts.

The man, Kavar smiled slightly. He knew that look: The look when one discovers that he was a jedi. "This does not concern you, sir. This is between me and your friend."

Just then, Kavar had a vision. It was unclear and incoherent but he could make out a few crucial bits: He saw this young anthro, Tails there battling a masked figure, the other human firing his rifle, and several of his companions.

"Are you alright, sir?" Chris asked politely. "Yes, I'm quite fine. Thank you for asking. Excuse me young man, I need to go. Expect to see me again soon. We need to talk about…what I see in you." Kavar turned on his heel and walked into the senate building. "What the hell was that all about?" Chris asked. Tails shook his head. "I don't know, but I get a feeling he's gonna be following us.

Speaking of following, there was an uninvited guest clinging onto the bottom of the _Phoenix_. Inside a charred, ruined hulk that blended in with the rest of the Titanium-A, sat the evil genius Dr. Ivo Robotnik. After the Fourth Battle of Earth where the UNSC defeated the Terran forces, Egmman had tried to escape the Sol system using one of the four Sol Emeralds he had captured. He was nearly within range to jump when a lone UNSC Frigate, the _Defiance_ opened fire on him. The first thing that got hit on Robotnik's cruiser was his engine drive corridor. After that, he was drifting and the frigate had one easy target.

A few MAC blasts later, Robotnik's cruiser was out of commission. The blasted hulk pin wheeled in space riddled with holes belching coolant and molten metal. The evil doctor had one last trick up his sleeve. The bridge separated from the rest of the ship and he clamped onto the UNSC _Phoenix_ just before she jumped. He was foolish however to hold the Sol Emerald when the ship jumped. He was the cause of the universal transition.

Now trapped in an alternate universe, Robotnik had plans. He had of course sliced into the Republic data logs, butchered Bianca's translation software for his own use, and read up all he needed to know. Satisfied, he could go and talk to these Mandalorians. Maybe he could work out a "business agreement".

The hatch of the severed bridge cycled open and the hatch dropped. Since the bridge was upside down, Eggman tumbled to the ground. His robots however had robotic feet so they simply walked down. He rubbed his bald head thinking about the bump he'd have. He squelched this thought when he saw several UNSC Marines standing close to his position. Fortunately they had not heard him and he decided to get away and find refuge. Maybe he could blend in. the humans around here wore wacky styles so he could integrate easily. Maybe he could pose his robots as the ones several people had walking around. Even a few of them had weapons!

"This may be our lucky day, gentlemen." He said to his robots. "No more jail cells for me!" He was about to take a step when he heard the rack of a pistol slide. He swept around to the source of the noise. Standing before him was a bat. She was very beautiful and wore a black bodysuit with a titanium breastplate shaped like a heart. In her hands however, she carried a 10mm matte black pistol with a heart shaped iron-sight. He laughed at his opponent. "Why hello, Rouge! I didn't know you were on board this ship!" He gestured to the _Phoenix_ which stood above him.

"I'm not exactly on the list, am I doctor?" She sighted the pistol. He could make out the symbol on her holster: It was the symbol of an Eagle perched over a single eye. "ONI? Really Rouge, I had no idea that you were the humans' lapdog now, working for a section of the military that technically doesn't exist? Being a spook?"

Rouge didn't lower the gun. "I made that choice, doc. Now you're gonna tell your tin cans to lower their weapons or I'll plug them first, then you." Eggman had no choice, or so it seemed to Rouge. "You've got me. Lower your weapons." He ordered the robots. The two automatons stared at each other for a second communicating, and then threw their guns on the floor. "Put your hands on your head!" Rouge commanded. He did as he was told. She walked up to him and extracted a pair of handcuffs. "On Authority of the Office of Naval Intelligence Section Zero, you are hereby under arrest, Doctor Eggman." Robotnik suddenly broke out into a smile. _Now!_

A wide-bore weapon emerged from the doctor's coat sleeve. Rouge barely had time to register it. It was a laser! Eggman fired the gun once. Time slowed down for the ONI operative. Light erupted from the barrel of the weapon and a wide swipe of energy crossed the threshold. Rouge was immediately struck by the energy. Her outer titanium plate was boiled away and her clothing was singed off. Her skin burned in the erratic matter. Eggman smiled. The gun didn't have enough energy to kill the bat, but it had more than enough to leave her out of the fight. He glanced at her quivering form, her skin blistered all the way around her abdomen. Clear burn fluid already was surfacing around those areas. She had enough strength though to raise her pistol and squeeze off two shots within the doctor's direction.

The pistol's muzzle flare was bright pink. The bullets caught the guard just three inches on his right. The faceplate dented on the first round and the second punctured the armor. Black oil and fluid erupted from the robot's face as it crumpled on the ground. Eggman's smile of delight vanished when he saw the approaching Marines.

Chris had heard the energy blast first. He and twenty other Marines turned to see what was going on. He saw Rouge the Bat fall to the ground, her skin smoking from the energy impact. Then he saw Doctor Eggamn triumphantly holding his weapon. The doctor saw the Captain and turned to start running. "MAN DOWN!" Chris shouted. "MAN DOWN! SOMEONE GRAB A CRASH KIT! I NEED A FUCKING MEDIC HERE!" Despite his previous hate of Rouge, he felt the need to help her. He slid on the ground beside her and desperately placed his hand on her neck. No pulse. Damn. Her heart must have overloaded.

A Marine with the Medical Rod of Asclepius (Snake and Wings) on his shoulder had a defibrillator in hand. The man rubbed them both together charging static electricity. "Clear!" he yelled. Chris slid an inch back. The medic placed one shock pad over Rouge's right breast and the other under the left. Her bare chest jostled slightly as her muscles contracted. The doctor placed a stethoscope over her chest. "Heart's restarted, but it's beating dangerously high. Better get her on the ship." Two more medics lifted her form and walked up the access ramp.

The other Marines crossed Chris and ran to confront Eggman. They were rewarded by a few laser blasts. The bridge had released itself from the _Phoenix_'s hull and operated as a single ship. Eggman turned the bridge around and nailed whatever he could get. Splash damage from a laser lifted a few men into the air, their skin burning from the heat of the energy discharge. The Republic soldiers opened fire with their blasters. Coherent energy streaked towards the doctor's ship but they dissipated in the shields. The UNSC's small arms fire didn't do much damage either.

Captain Perry ran out of the Senate building as fast as his legs could carry him "EVERYONE, INTO THE SHIP NOW!" He barked. The Marines responded and turned tail. A few carried wounded and dying. Perhaps they could be saved.

Doctor Eggman was like a kid at Christmas. He was mowing the UNSC Marines down like crazy. A few laser blasts here, a few there, he set a few men on fire and cackled madly. Suddenly he saw a man in a flight uniform emerge from the building. This was probably Captain Perry, the man in charge of the ship. As soon as the Marines disappeared into the safety of the _Phoenix_, Doctor Robotnik realized he was outgunned to hell.

He ordered his helmsmen- which were robots- to turn the ship around and rocket them out of system. The engines of the frigate started up and the 50mm MLA Autocannons turned to track them. Accelerating through the atmosphere, Robotnik dumped almost all the power he had into the shielding. Cannons fired and picked away at the energy shielding. Eventually, the ship made it to orbit and jumped to hyperspace.

"We lost him!" Lieutenant Briggs said. Perry slammed his fist into the side of the command chair. "DAMN!" he yelled. They were drifting in space, just passing an orbital mirror which supplied Coruscant with sunlight. "Try to contact the Republic and get every ship they own looking for this guy!" Perry commanded Lieutenant Callows. "Yes sir!" he shouted and begun typing in commands.

Perry stood up and walked out the door. There was somebody on board he needed to have a little chat with.


	5. Chapter 4: Dxun

Chapter 4: Dxun

October 17th, 3235, 0751 hours

UNSC _Phoenix_ (DDG-626)

Sustained Orbit over Coruscant

Rouge creaked her eyes open slowly regaining consciousness. The Last thing she remembered was getting an energy blast to the chest, then a bunch of darkness. For a second, she thought she was dead.

It was blurry at first, and then her vision came into sharp focus. Two Navy doctors and a male nurse hovered over her, occasionally checking the EKG machine to monitor her pulse and blood pressure. The bat tilted her head and saw a tube taped to her arm. Of course she was receiving sugar for her blood. "Someone pinch me, am I dreaming?" She said airily. The doctors smiled. "Its good you woke up." The superior-a Lieutenant Commander- said. "We were starting to wonder if we were going to lose you." She cocked her head. "Is that so?" "Yeah, your heart rates have been erratic. Your highest was 160 over 100! You had Stage 2 Hypertension, ma'am."

"Oh shit." She said rubbing her temple and blinking her eyes. Rouge tried to lean up but the L.C. placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're not going anywhere for now. Your skin got fried from that laser blast. You have 2nd degree burns all over your abdomen extending to your thighs and breasts. We took care of that though." She suddenly realized she was wearing a hospital smock. She pulled her sheets up higher.

"Am I still on the _Phoenix_? This place looks too familiar to be an alien planet." The L.C. nodded. "Yeah, you're still on the old bird. We pulled out shortly after you got shot. I can't believe Robotnik was hitchhiking off us." Rouge sighed and felt around under her smock around her stomach and thighs. Her skin was oily. "What the hell did you rub me down with?" The Lieutenant Commander was eager to explain this part.

"That's kolto, ma'am: a healing substance. It's probably the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I was talking to a few of the Republic techs that loaded this stuff on the ship and they tell me that they would have died several times if it weren't for kolto. They even had the scars to prove it! That's extreme, and I've been a doctor for ten years!"

Rouge scowled. She wished she could write this down. That was her job on this goddamned ship. ONI was going to have a fit when they found that out. The doctor heard a knock on the door. He said, "enter." And the door slid open. Rouge mouthed, "Oh shit."

Captain Vennettilli and his squad were standing outside the door, and worse, Captain Perry. She was done for. "Hello, Rouge." Captain Perry said walking in. He smiled but the government agent could tell that his gaze was piercing her. Sally walked up to Rouge and grabbed her by the shoulders. "You followed us!" She said into her face. "Did not!" She shouted back. "Admit it, you slut!" "Hey, hey, HEY!" Chris yelled. "KNOCK IT OFF, _NOW_!" He barked. Sally unhanded her.

"She's still sore about New Mombassa." Rouge said with a smug smile. Sally fumed. Perry wasn't in the mood to hear stories. "What are you doing on my ship, miss? I don't remember seeing your name on the passenger roster." Rouge's eyes darted around the room, from Chris, to Sally, to Ryan, to Johnson, Perry, and repeating. "I…I stowed away." Perry's eyes widened slightly and his lips narrowed. "Really." "I apologize Captain. Really, I do! I had strict orders from the President not to tell anyone." "How can I believe that?" Captain Vennettilli said, "Sir, I found her bag." She held up Rouge's pink duffel bag. "Don't go into that, that's private!" She screeched.

Vennettilli felt around a little in the bag, around bottles of perfume, canisters of lipstick, nail polish, mascara, hairbrushes, and what he suspected to be condoms. She saw his stare and raised her shoulders. "Can you blame me?" The captain returned to his work. At last he found a datapad. He brought it out and requested Rouge type in her password. She was allowed to have a little privacy and in seconds, the screen flashed 'WELCOME'. He selected the 'Orders' thumbnail and selected the latest, October 14th 3235.

Rouge was true to her word. The Word note had detailed instructions that the bat was expected to do signed by none other than the President of the United Federation, the man who controlled the United States, Canada, and Mexico. "She's clean, sir." Perry nodded. "Very well. Where were you hiding?" Rouge smiled with a little self-satisfaction. "Ah, the flight deck, sir. I was hiding in a Longsword's weapons locker." "How the hell did you get in, those Longswords are code locked." Sally stepped forward. "She's a jewel thief, sir. She's trained for this sort of stuff." Johnson said quietly to Ryan, "She can sneak into my house any night!" Ryan laughed softly. Of course Rouge heard this as well. "Regardless, you're here now so you're our responsibility. You are to report to the armory to get your armor. "Armor, sir? I believe there's been a misunderstanding."

"You're trained to fight with firearms of varying calibers?" "Yes, I was, sir but I believe that's avoiding the point." "You were trained in survival?" "Sir, I'm a bat. That stuff comes natural." "Very well, then! As of this moment you are now an honorary member of the UNSC Marine Corps!" The corner of Rouge's eye twitched.

"You can't do this to me! I am a prestigious member of the Office of Naval Intelligence! I report to the goddamned President!" Perry had had enough. "Not out here you don't. You report to _me_, missy. And as of this moment, I am assigning you to _that_ man there!" He pointed to Chris.

"Oh awesome, we get another chick on out team!" Ryan said. "Hell yes!" Johnson crowed. They slapped high-fives. Rouge's jaw dropped. She was now supposed to _fight_? That wasn't her style. She was used to sneaking into places and snapping people's necks. Sam Fisher shit. Now she was supposed to charge forward and risk getting shot with every step she took? Not a chance.

"Captain, Captain! Perhaps we can come to an agreement here! She said sitting up. The pain lanced in her abdomen. Now she knew why the L.C. wanted her to lay back. "No." he said and the door slid shut with a final _clang_. "Oh hell no." She said.

"Come on, get up." Chris said. Rouge stared at him with wide eyes. "Excuse me?" she said. "Come on, you've got to change into leisure uniform." Rouge thought the young man was brain-dead. "I'm only wearing a smock!" Chris shrugged. "Yeah, so? All the other patients are." "I don't see a changing room." A smile tugged at Chris' lips. "There are none."

Rouge was now filled with nausea. "Sally, I thoroughly apologize for anything I have ever done to you." Sally shook her head. "Too late now." She tossed the folded uniform onto the bat's bed. "Change." Rouge pointed an accusing figure at Chris. "You may be cute, but you're an asshole."

Rouge spent five embarrassing minutes changing into her uniform. It wasn't the fact that she had no clothes on, she was quite used to that. It was the fact that these people had so carelessly defeated her. They were right though; out here, she had nobody but them to report to but them. Her skin tingled in the cold air and she was sure the other patients were staring at her. She pulled her cargo pants up and clicked her belt closed. When secured, the buckle had the Globe and Eagle of the UNSC.

"Okay, can we go now?" Chris had one last dirty trick to play. "No. I'm going to introduce you to your new superior." "Where is he?" Chris smiled. "Not he." He pointed to Sally. "She." It was more than the unfortunate ONI operative could take. She broke down for a couple minutes before the Sergeant Major grabbed her shoulders. "You're _mine_ mow, bitch." Sally said dangerously.

On the Bridge, Captain Perry contemplated the information that he was supplied with. The Admiral had given them a single clue. Karath had said that there was a jewel on the moon of Onderon, Duxn that may hold the original Blood Emerald. He was eager to try out the new hyperdrive the _Phoenix_ was supplied with. He wasn't sure though if the hull could take the pressure. Only one way to find out.

"Bianca, boot up the Hyperspace drive." Perry ordered. "Working on it, Captain. This system is relatively unknown to me. There are algorithms and strings that Earth scientists have been working on for hundreds of years. Despite this, I feel I can get through to the activation codes. Got it! Opening galaxy map." Where the star charts for the Milky Way would have been sprung up the new galaxy. Planets and routes appeared like stars in the dusk. Their planet, Onderon, was highlighted in blue. It was also in English due to the translation software. "Onderon co-ordinates locked in. Hyperspace initiated. The stars started to smear as the ship tunneled into the FTL domain. The destroyer propelled forwards at impossible speeds. On the inside, all the bridge crew witnessed the kaleidoscope of blue. "ETA to Onderon is 1 hour 21 minutes." The forward NAV officer, Lieutenant Gerard Briggs said. His identical twin Calvin sat next to him also monitoring the velocity. "Reactor temperature is normal. We're doing fine."

"No strains in the hull at all?" Perry asked. "No, sir. We're in for a smooth ride. "Good, I think it's about damn time we've had one of those.

After their flight, the _Phoenix_ reentered normal space above two green globes. The largest of which was Onderon, a massive ball of forests, mountains, and the single major walled city of Iziz. The city had a lot of history. It was the largest and only settlement on the planet and had been ever since the planet was colonized. The reason being was that ever venturing outside the protective walls of the capital was a death wish. Creatures such as the dreaded dragon-like drexl stalked, able to fly, had enormous strength and teeth to match and bomas, which were large carnivorous quadrupeds.

Criminals from Iziz were exiled from the city and forced to fend for themselves. These criminals learned to communicate with these animals and became beast-riders. After a while, the beast riders assaulted the city and peace was brought when a beast-rider married the princess of the city. Ever since then, the two peoples lived in relative peace.

But that wasn't why the group was here. They were focusing on the moon of Dxun. It was larger than Luna by far. Debris scattered the space around the area. It was filled with scrap metal, coolant and bodies…

The _Phoenix_'s shield deflected most of the small stuff as it cruised through space. The most interesting feature about the moon was the fact that the atmospheres of the parent planet and the satellite _intertwined_. "If I'm reading this right," Bianca said after accessing the Republic Database. "The atmospheres connect some time in the summer perihelion when the moon is closest to the planet. Beasts of all kinds were known to cross the space between the two." The captain shuddered. "Is there anything in that passage now?" Bianca did a quick search. "No, I'm not detecting anything in that area." The Captain nodded. "Alright, let's bring the _Phoenix _in for a landing." "Captain, I'm strongly against that. I detect that the moon is extremely humid and the ground is muddy. A vessel the tonnage of the _Phoenix_ would sink like a man in quicksand. We'd never get back into space." "Alright, send two Pelicans down to the surface with as many Marines as they can carry. I want to go home!"

Pelicans Romeo-161 and Golf-977 were perched over the open doors in the bottom of the destroyer. All personnel had been cleared from the area and the atmosphere was slowly pumped out. 20 Marines were seated inside. Of those twenty, Captain Vennettilli, Sergeant Majors Acorn and Johnson, Corporals Percy and Valcartier were among them. They were silent as the pilots went over the pre-flight checks. When the green light sounded, the pilots started their engines.

It was a slow whine at first. Then the jets picked up energy and the clamps released. The stomachs went up the throats of every Marine as the craft free-fell for a few seconds. Then the jets kicked in and shot the two dropships down towards the moon. "Are you sure that this place has the Emerald?" Ryan questioned. "It's all Intel's got for us. Until we figure out the exact truth, we have to assume that X marks the spot." "Great, we're taking directions from a fairy tale." Ryan said sarcastically. "Keep your chin up, we're going to a new planet!" Sally said not just to Ryan, but to everyone on that bird. "It's like the frontier days! We're gonna learn something new here!"

The Pelicans coasted over the jungle setting. Trees of various types covered the ground and flocks of alien birds dotted the skies. The pilots discovered a clearing where they could set their birds down. The nacelles tilted downward and singed the grass. Tires extended from the Pelicans and touched down. The tires sunk into the moist ground a little and the pilots cut the power.

"Alright everyone, this is it!" Captain Vennettilli called out. The Marines stood to, ready to go out. The Captain pressed the door release and the hatch dropped. Immediately, the crew was assaulted by the bad smell of the swamplands. "Jesus Christ!" One man in the back cried out. The Captain shared his opinion. Ryan plugged his nose. "Jeez, Sally! I knew you said it would be like the frontiers out here. It _smells_ like the frontiers here!" Johnsons shouted, "Pile out! Go, go, _GO!_" The Marines exited the Pelicans and squished into the clearing. It was getting close to the afternoon on this planet. They could see Onderon in the sky before them. A bunch of birds cawed in the sky and made a few Marines point their weapons up in fear. "Stand down, Marines." Johnson said, calming down the soldiers. The sergeant from the second dropship, a Master Sergeant named Peters herded his own men.

"Sergeant Peters, Move your men out through the path on the left. My men will move up on the right." Captain Vennettilli said through his headset that was in his hat. "_Roger that, Captain. We'll call anything in should we see anything_." Peters responded. "Roger that, Peters. Keep your eyes open. I don't like this place." He snapped the COM off. "Captain, how did these paths get here?" Ryan said looking down at the worn ground. "I'm not a scientist, Corporal. I can offer an opinion." "Can I hear it?" "My guess is that there was someone here before us. I can see faint footprints, some scoring on the trees too. Uh, my guess is that there was a battle here of some kind." Suddenly, a voice crawled into his headset. "_I can back that up, Chris_."

The voice came from Sally's personal handheld computer, NICOLE. "_I've managed to link up with Bianca. She's been relatively uneager to share her findings with me, so I decided to slice into the system and retrieve it._" She broadcast on SQUADCOM so everyone could hear. "Nicole! You didn't!" Sally said. Slicing into the system of a UNSC ship was a punishable offense warranted by 10 years in prison. Nicole _wasn't_ a person so she could possibly get erased, but then things in the future may be affected…

"_Relax, Sal. I managed to cover my footprints with a ghost signal. When Bianca looks over the records, she'll never notice that I was in there, like a ghost._" Chris could register smugness in NICOLE's voice. She brought "Smart AI" a whole new meaning."

Farther up the path, a Private said, "Sir, I see something in the grass!" Chris looked up ahead. In the brush, there was a robot. It was orange with a few flecks of paint missing. He stared at it for a moment. Its eyes were dark. "Mark it for salvage. I think he's just switched off." Farther up ahead, the bodies started to show up.

"_Sir, this is Peters. We've found some corpses. By the looks of it there are _a lot_ of them._" Chris replied, "Roger that Peters, we've also spotted some bodies. Looks like there are a lot of Republic soldiers among them. There's also some armored corpses too. I can't identify them." "_That's a negative here too, Captain._" Peters said. The he suggested, "_Sir, perhaps you should contact the ship?_" Then NICOLE cut in. "_No need, Sergeant. I already have that information. The bodies you're looking at are those of deceased Mandalorian neo-crusaders. Apparently, there was a major battle fought here. It was a victory for the Republic but only because the Mandalorians abandoned an outpost somewhere on the moon. The Mandalorian leader ordered weapons to be hidden in caches all over the moon._" Ryan twitched. "Did she say '_Weapon caches?!_' "_The moon has been empty for a little while with the exception for animals an a few hunters. We don't have anything to worry about._"

Sergeant Peters led his men through the swamp that was Dxun. Peters shouldered his BR75 with painstaking accuracy. Behind him, his men marched in a straight line. The rear guard, Corporal "Fitzy" Quaid was shaking so much; the rest of the squad could hear the weapon mods _chinking_ together. Peters had had enough of it. "For Christ's sake Fitzy, are you gonna stop shaking? You heard the lady, there's nothing to be scared of!

"I dunno, Sarge. There's something watching us!" The man behind Peters, Lance Corporal Dunham said, "_Jeezus_ Fitzy, now you're making _me_ shaky." "He does a pretty good job of that." Peters said with a slight smile. The men laughed. It kept their hopes up.

Ten minutes later, Peters and his men stopped near a crashed starship. There were many bodies around it, or parts of bodies. "Holy shit! What happened here?" Dunham queried when he saw an arm being eaten by fly-like bugs. Peters knelt and examined the rotting meat. "Well, judging from position and length of the crater, I'd say that these boys had a rough landing, they went through the windshield and fell about fifty feet. I'm surprised these corpses aren't any more mangled up." Fitzy shrugged. "I wonder if the Captain's having as much fun as we are.

"Checking in, Cap: Same old same old. Lots of bodies, Republic and Mandalorian. Shit, this must've been a _huge_ battle." "_I was thinking the same thing, Peters. I'm getting the sneaking suspicion that something else is down here. Keep your eyes and ears open. Check in again in ten minutes._" "Roger that sir. Peters out."

Peters' men had moved deeper into the jungle than the Captain's. It was getting scarier by the second. Fitzy was starting to jump at shadows. It wasn't until he fired his assault rifle that the entire operation had blown to hell. The ringing of the shots had strayed over the Dxun jungle. Flocks of birds took flight and cawed warning to their brethren. "_What was that?!_" the Captain had said on the radio quickly. "_What just happened?! I did NOT authorized shots to be fired, Sergeant! I want an explanation!_"

"Why do you do this to me, Fitzy? Why?!" Peters said "Sir, one of my men's rifles accidentally discharged. Everything's under control. We're fine." "_You sure?_" Captain Vennettilli demanded. "Yeah, we're sure." "_Alright. Don't want to be too careless out here. Check-in in five minutes. Captain Vennettilli out._" The minute Peters shut off the COM, an armored figure came up behind him and knocked him out. Before the other members of the squad could react, 7 more men were put out of commission. Corporal Fitzy and Lance Corporal Dunham were the last ones standing and fired a few shots at the armored men. Their shots glanced off energy shields of some sort. They raised their weapons and fired. Red bolts of energy slammed into their chests and they slumped unconscious into the dirt.

Sally heard the gunshots. "There they go again." She said, her ears twitching after each shot was fired. "I'm getting sick of this." Captain Vennettilli said keying in his COM. "Vennettilli to Peters, come in Peters!" Static. "Peters, those discharges were not accidental! What the fuck is going on over there?" More white noise. "Ah shit. PETERS! ANSWER ME!" Nothing came through. He exhaled explosively. "NICOLE. Give me a link to the _Phoenix_." "_Done. I have the mainframe online. What can I do?_" "I want a link to Peters' locator. I want the exact position of his team.

There was a two-second pause in the link "_OK, I've done it. Be advised Chris, there is a rock formation in your way. I'll plot a course but there will be a slight time deviation._" "What's the time difference?" "_Surprisingly, very small. According to these maps which date back thirty years, Peters' squad is located five minutes from your position. I'm not picking up any vital signs though._" Chris cursed. "Let's go, Marines. Keep your eyes open!"

Five minutes passed in a flash. The Marines advanced through the dense jungle not stopping for anything, not even bathroom breaks. The humid atmosphere caused some Marines to get winded easily. Sally and Ryan had rolled their sleeves up to their elbows but it didn't help Sally much. "This jungle…will be the death…of me!" She said in between breaths. "Suck it in." Chris yelled, leading the pack. "I like it. Its exercise!" Johnson crowed sticking a cigar in his mouth and lighting it. He moaned in satisfaction. "AHH! That's the good stuff!" Chris slowed down slightly. He checked his wrist-mounted GPS. "Heads up, people: we're closing in on Peters' squad. Get your weapons ready, this may be a firefight."

The tree-line got significantly thinner around the locater. As a matter of fact, the clearing seemed to be the crater of a laser or bomb blast. In the center there was a olive-drab mass. "What the hell is that?" Chris said. "Percy, check whatever that is out!" Ryan nodded his head and slowly went forward with his AIE-486 HMG raised. He took a quick glance to the left and to the right then crept closer. "There's nothing here, sir; just a suit of armor."

The Captain walked up to the mass. The rest of the squad followed. When he was up at the armor he took a closer look. "This is Peters' armor. Look, his name is stenciled on the left pec guard." Sally hunkered over his shoulder. "If that's true, why did he strip out of it?" Something caught the Captain's eye: A small blinking red device. Vennettilli knew what it was at once. "Its Peters' locator!" Johnson huffed. "All device, no man for it." A PFC said, "Why would Peters' rip his own device off and lead us in the middle of nowhere?" Sally's eyes widened. "So that we would find it!" Chris stiffened. "IT'S A TRAP!"

It happened at once. NICLOE shouted, "_Chris, my motion sensors are going nuts! Get out of there NOW!_" 5 masked figures appeared from nowhere. The only thing Chris could see was a T–shaped visor and colored armor, nothing else. They all raised their guns. "Don't move, we've got you surrounded!" one said. "Drop your weapons, NOW!" He said. Chris saw that the squad was outnumbered by five more men. He had no choice but to agree. "You heard them, boys. Drop your guns." The UNSC soldiers threw their guns into the dirt. Ryan dropped his HMG with a _clang_ into the ground. A corporal named Carl Kejin resisted. An armored figure shot Kejin with a blaster. "You son of a bitch!" Kejin's friend screeched. "Relax. He's just stunned. He won't feel so great when he wakes up. The rest of you better follow us unless you want to end up like your pal."

One of the figures picked up the guns and inspected them. "Ooh, very fashionable for slugthrowes. Mandalore's gonna have fun ripping these apart." Another said, "Give us the bag, human." The group turned to Ryan. "Why do you want it?" the Corporal asked. "We just wanna make sure it doesn't have any bombs or anything like that."

Ryan grudgingly handed over the bag. The trooper's arms sagged slightly as he took possession of it. "Damn! There must hundreds of pounds of ammo in here." Ryan shrugged. The big one in red armor stepped forward. "What I wanna know is why a bunch of humans, and a bothan are doing dressed up in military garb, carrying slugthrowers. You womp rats some sort of hunting party? This is Mandalorian turf."

Chris stepped forward. Better to die now and not tortured later. "I am Captain Chris Vennettilli of the United Nations Space Command Defense Force, 182nd Marine Infantry Division. I strongly suggest you let us go and the men you have captured. Our ship is in orbit and will come look for us if we don't return."

The red Mandalorian started. "Listen you little maggot, I don't like-" "Cool it, Jaggar. I think he's telling the truth. Not like he's from Onderon or anything like that."

"How can you be so sure of that Raiken?" "About an hour ago my scouts reported seeing two ships of some kind in the clearing a little while down. They're armed to the teeth and they don't match anything we have in the database. I think we should bring 'em to Mandalore for further questioning." Jaggar sighed. "Alright, follow us and don't try anything stupid or we'll stun you and leave you for the cannoks." The Marines didn't know what cannoks were but they were sure that they would eat them without hesitation. "Alright." The Captain said. "Lead the way."

For ten minutes, the Marines followed the Mandalorians. "I can't believe we're being taken prisoner!" Sally said. "This is very bad for my image!" Jaggar laughed. "Easy there, little missy. What are you, a princess or something?" The other Mandalorians chuckled. "As a matter of fact, I am." The convoy stopped. "I am Princess Sally Alicia Acorn of the planet Mobius." Jaggar stepped closer. "You mean Mobus, Right? Don't think they have any royalty up there though, maybe on M-18." "No, I mean Mobius, a planet from a different universe!" Jaggar laughed again. "A different universe, she says! Oh, you are a precious little thing! The boys are gonna _love_ you." The Mandalorian did a double take. "Hold on one."

He leaned so close to Sally that she could see her own reflection in the T-shaped visor. _Oh God, please stop looking at me like that_. "Come to think of it, you don't look much like a bothan now, do you?" He then turned away quickly. "Easy now, its all in your head."

After a few more minutes of silent hiking, the tree-line cleared and a massive base stood before them. Mandalorians patrolled the area and several stood on the bombed-out walls. "Welcome to our outpost!" Jaggar shouted to the Marines.


	6. Chapter 5: The Outpost

Chapter 5: The Outpost Chapter 5: The Outpost

October 16th 3235

Dxun

/EMERGENCY BROADCAST/

**FROM: ** BCN 2780-31

**TO: **All UNSC Personnel aboard the UNSC _Phoenix_

**ENCODING: **Red

**SUBJECT: **MISSING PERSONNEL

/Begin Message/

_All personnel, we have a situation on the moon known was Dxun. Two squads of UNSC Marines have gone missing. None of their locators show up suggesting they have either been switched off or the Marines themselves are deceased. Until this entire issue has cleared up, All Navy Personnel aboard the_ Phoenix _are instructed to go to battle stations and await further orders. Bianca out._

/End Message/

The Outpost was fairly large. It ranged a few acres in size and was well fortified. All around the UNSC Marines Mandalorians of all types watched their advance. Several were sparring at the time hand to hand and with melee weapons. At the rear of the camp, there were two large hangars that were closed. "Curious. I wonder what's in those hangars." Sally remarked. "Sergeant, this is not the time for sightseeing."

The Mandalorian Jaggar chuckled. "The man's right, sweetheart. Keep your eyes to yourself so we don't hafta rip 'em out of your sockets." The blue Mandalorian, Raiken, walked up to the pair. "Don't worry about him. He's just a little sore that he's never killed anything in this war." The Captain shrugged. "Thanks for the reassurance. You're actually not half bad as these other guys."

Raiken shrugged too. "Well thanks. Mandalore says I may be too soft for a man of the ranks. Reckons I should be the quartermaster or mechanic or something." Further conversation didn't happen since Jaggar cut across. "Oi, Raiken! Stop fraternizing with the prisoners! Mandalore wants them uncompromised for interrogation!" "_Interrogation_?!" The princess said wide-eyed. "Yeah, so until then, shut your traps and mind your own business!"

At the center of the Mandalorian camp, there was a small, but ornate building. Once inside it was cool, possibly due to climate control devices. Standing in front of them was a figure dressed in body armor wearing a similar visor to the neo-crusaders. Jaggar went forward and bowed. He rose and turned to his prisoners. "May I present to you, Mandalore the Ultimate, leader of the Mandalorian Clans. Show some respect you little-"

"That will be quite enough, Jaggar." Mandalore said in a thundering voice. "Leave us now. I wish to speak to these humans." The red armored neo-crusader stood confused. "But sir, I thought I was going to-" Mandalore gestured with his fingers. "Yes Mandalore, as you wish."

Jaggar turned angrily towards the open door and walked out. He hit a switch on the outside and a door sealed shut between the group and the rest of the camp. Mandalore started pacing around the Marines. "So…" he said circling the UNSC troops. "What brings you to our little moon?" The Mandalorian leader never even glanced at any of the Marines. "We're on a mission." The Captain responded. Mandalore laughed. "Its always a mission now, isn't it? For the Republic it was a mission; destroying our chances of ruling the galaxy, For the Onderonian Military it was a mission; coming here and wiping out those who survived the Second Battle. Tell me, Captain: What's _your_ mission?"

Chris didn't ask how Mandalore knew his rank; he probably got the information from Peters, if he was even still alive… "We're on a mission to recover a certain jewel. The Sith Blood Emerald." At this, Mandalore froze. "The Sith Blood Emerald? Its merely a myth, isn't it?" "Apparently not. This thing will help us get home."

The Mandalorian leader paced again, this time cocking his head upwards in thought. "I remember several stories from my clan that referred to the Emerald. Its location jumped from system to system over time. I am well aware that this could be a myth and the jewel itself is still here on Dxun."

"If the Emerald is still here, why didn't you go to get it?" Ryan asked. Mandalore was pleased to answer. "Use of the jewel itself is considered a sense of taboo to the Mandalorians. We find it dishonorable to use such things to help us win a battle." Johnson puffed his cigar. "You could have bypassed orbital defenses, fleets of ships!" Mandalore stared at Chris. "I don't envy your lack of control over your men, Captain." "I allow my men to speak their mind." The being behind the mask huffed. "Besides the fact, the place where the Emerald is well fortified, booby trapped, and according to my men, haunted." Sally shivered. A few Marines looked at each other. "Haunted?!" She said in a small squeak of a voice.

"Yes, haunted. It is a tomb of a Sith Lord, a powerful servant of the Dark Side. I have sent men in there before to seek treasures and ancient technology. None have returned. I feared the worst for those men. I sent other scouts but they have claimed to be confronted by dark spirits. I have not known my Mandalorians to lie to me." Captain Vennettilli gulped. "So, where is this tomb?" Mandalore laughed. "You are not worthy to travel to the tomb." "Excuse me?"

"You are weak. Look at you, I bet you could barely stand a punch." He pushed Chris with his open hand. The Captain staggered back and was caught by his men. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" one of the Marines said, "The Captain's a badass!" another said, "We're _all_ badasses." The Marines crowed a battle cry. Mandalore shook his head and sighed. "You may _think_ yourselves strong but you are not "_Mandalorian_ strong." The UNSC Mariens laughed at this. "You sound like my D.I.!" One in the back laughed.

Mandalore stood quiet. The door slid open at his command. "Don't be rash. You are being given an honor not many have had. You are obviously not with the Republic so we have nothing to fear." Chris sighed. "Very well, Mandalore. We accept whatever you will train us." Before he forgot, he asked "Wait. What has become of my Sergeant, Peters?" Mandalore laughed. "Oh, him. He's fine. He and his companions have gotten tranquilized for the better part of the day. He'll be fine. Now, excuse me, I need to send a message to your ship. Take them away, Jaggar. Have fun." Jaggar bowed. "Of course, Mandalore. Alright, you runts: follow me. You wanna enter that tomb; you need to beat the best!"

The UNSC Marines went outside and the door slid shut. Mandalore sighed and slipped off his helmet. The alien ran his fingers over his leathery skin and toyed with the dreadlocks that hung on the back of his skull. "What was I thinking?" He said to himself. _They can't stay here. They need to leave. If they are telling the truth though, they'll need us._ The Taung stared at his mask. It was the same condition that it was when he recovered it from the last Mandalore, ever since that time, the title had been his. He wondered how much longer they'd hold that title.

These new players in the war effort, The Jedi generals Revan and Alek, had made quite a splash in the moral of the Republic. Mandalore sighed sadly. He wondered how the war was going to end. Would it end in surrender? Or would it be the honorable death at the hands of the superior duelist? Mandalore the Ultimate contemplated the future. _Will Malachor V be my grave?_

He set this thought aside and recited a Mandalorian war hymn as he typed on the keyboard of the terminal. In Mando'a, the message read, '_To the crew of the UNSC _Phoenix, _This is Mandalore the Ultimate. Do not fret; your men are not harmed in any way. We are located on the moon of Dxun. Do not attempt hostile interaction; we outnumber your ship's crew and weapons considerably. Your men are training to retrieve the Blood Emerald._'

There. It was patchy work, no doubt, but it was one of the best messages Mandalore could compose at the time. He sent the message to the _Phoenix_ which was in orbit. He lay back in his chair and relaxed.

Ensign Callows was suddenly woken up by a beeping on the COM station. The young man rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and yawned. It had been so boring the last couple of hours aboard the ship. Hell, it wasn't even his shift. The Captain had insisted that all bridge crew pull double-duty until the Marines were found, alive or otherwise. It was a shit-end job is what it was.

That was the TAC officers' job. All five of them were monitoring the moon's surface in strips looking for any trace of a locator. Unfortunately, the rotation of the moon had slid the landing sight out of focus. There would be nothing for another 7 hours at least. But the beeping usually meant an E-mail of some sort. Callows tapped the thumbnail with his mouse and a message scrolled across the screen in an unfamiliar language. "Captain Perry sir? I've got something." Perry walked up to the station. The rest of the crew turned away from their consoles. "What is it, Kevin?" The Captain said. "Uh, we've just got a message, but it's not in a language I can read." Perry nodded. "Bianca, you're up!"

"Stand by." The AI said over the bridge intercom. "Processing and cross-referencing data within the Republic's database." A few minutes passed. "Got it. The language you are looking at Ensign is Mando'a, the language of the Mandalorians. Callows looked at the Captain, then to the screen. "Wait sir…Weren't the Mandalorians the ones the Republic were fighting?" Perry nodded. "They sure as hell are. Bianca, I want this message decoded as soon as possible."

"Working on it Captain. Apparently there are a few literal translations I may have to work around but I can give you a message within a 91% accuracy rating. Done." Instantly, the message shifted. Mandalorian characters swapped with English lettering. In roughly 3 seconds, the entire message was translated. Perry ran over the message twice. "I can't believe it, they've been kidnapped." "Technically not, sir." Bianca noted. "The message merely states that they are within the _company _of the Mandalorians. There's no reference of '_Bring the million dollars to the port or the Marines get two in the head_' in there." The Captain didn't have any time for the AI's quirky behavior. Perry walked back to his command seat and sat down. The man rubbed his temple and stared out the window at the moon. "They said they were _training_ them for this task, right?" "Correct." "That's physical training?" "I would assume sir." "Fingers crossed then. I want this to be a short book."

A week passed on the moon. For those seven days, the UNSC Marines trained as hard as they had ever done in basic training. In the Mandalorian camp, the Marines trained in hand to hand, melee, ranged, and tactical combat. Mandalore himself overlooked the training with satisfaction. These humans had honed themselves into something special. They have trained like Mandalorians. Of these men, he had shown particular interest in the Captain and a few others, Sergeant Major Acorn, Corporal Percy and Sergeant Major Johnson. These beings communicated in a way none of the others did. He was interested to see how it would work in combat.

Chris and a Mandalorian minor sparred. A gold armored neo-crusader stood to referee the match. The Captain grappled the warrior around the waist and tried to shove him out of the ring. The warrior noticed this and shifted his center of gravity. The Captain gritted his teeth and switched to a half-nelson. The warrior was caught off guard and was instantly overwhelmed. Chris took the opportunity to kick his legs down and force him to his knees. He did so and the gold-armored Mandalorian shouted, "That's the match! The human wins! Blast, you are improving human! Barely a day ago you could barely beat Haigar!

Chris took a bottle of water and took a swig from it. He also poured some over his bicep where his skin had pinched in the armor. "Excuse me, Captain." A voice behind him said. Vennettilli turned around and saw Mandalore striding towards him. "Something I can do for you?" He nodded. "As a matter of fact, yes. Please accompany me." Chris played along. He finished his water and followed the Mandalorian. "Hey, I gotta ask: Do you ever take that thing off? The armor?" Mandalore the Ultimate paused. "I take it off to go to sleep and to refresh my hygiene." "Other than that…?" "No, I never take it off." The Captain whistled. "Wow, you must need a tan."

The pair went to a massive battle circle in the second half of the base. A few Marines were there fighting with Mandalorians. Currently, Johnson was dueling with stun-sticks. The Sergeant Major was having difficulty parrying the blocks, possibly due to his massive age. The opponent, A Mandalorian wearing purple armor lunged at Sergeant. The stick caught him right in the chest. Johnson was blasted out of the ring into the arms of Marines. "The battle is over! Grelak is the winner!" The referee shouted pointing at the purple armored brute, who flexed in victory. "Any one of you maggots want to step into the battle circle?" Mandalore cleared his throat. "As a matter of fact, this young man would." He said nudging Chris forward. "Excuse me?" Chris said wide eyed. The referee nodded. "And his challenger, Mandalore…?" Mandalore the Ultimate smiled behind his mask. "How about that young woman there?" He said pointing to Sally.

Instantly, the Marines wolf-whistled and laughed. Sally blushed through her fur. "Come now, you've been selected, get in the ring." Sally got to her feet and stepped into the ring. Chris entered. "Terms of engagement?" the referee asked Sally. "Hand to hand, no armor, battle to submission." The Marines 'ooohhed' "You heard her, human, strip to your shorts." Chris immediately went red and shed his outer layers of armor until he was wearing his khaki T-shirt and camouflaged shorts. Sally stripped out of almost all her clothing until she was only wearing her boots. In the ranks, several male marines crossed their legs hastily.

Chris rolled his neck around cracking vertebra. Sally did likewise to her knuckles. "Remember, human, no unfair moves below the belt." A Marine from the sidelines crowed, "Yeah, save that for the bunks, Cap!" Chris shouted back, "You're laughing because you've done it too, asshole!" The Marine shut up.

"Combatants ready? FIGHT!" The two fighters bolted. Chris reverse punched with his right hand. With lightning reflexes, Sally deflected this punch and landed one of her own in Chris' chest. The Captain exhaled as the air was purged from his lungs. This allowed the princess to land three extra hits on his chest. The Captain shrugged these light hits off and grabbed at the princess' arm.

This caught her by surprise. He attempted to throw her out of the ring. Sal of course had her own plan. At the apex of his throw, she grabbed onto _his_ arm and cent a boot into his skull. The Captain grunted in pain and gave her a solid uppercut. Sally's head snapped back and blood flowed from her lips. _She must have bitten her tongue_, Chris contemplated. She blinked back a couple tears of pain and lunged forward in a martial arts stand.

A couple of the UNSC and Mandalorian soldiers were getting interested. A few of the neo-crusaders took off their helmets to wipe the sweat from their hair. Normally battles lasted much shorter than that. Suddenly, sally did something Chris never would have expected: She drew her leg back and brought the tip of the boot straight into his groin. The Marine howled in pain and the UNSC boys covered their midsections. Ryan laughed, "I felt that over here, bro!" He turned towards the ref with an angry look in his eye. "Are you blind, you ass?" The Mandalorian warrior said with a chuckle, "I said _you_ couldn't do anything like that. _She _on the other hand can do as she pleases." "That's bullshit!"

_OK, I've been dealt a very, VERY bad hand here. What can I do? No unfair shots below the belt? That's half the fight right there! Wait, the legs! Sally's nothing without her legs! Man, one of us is sleeping on the couch tonight_.

Chris sprung into action. He did a mid block to counter her blows. He could see her smile behind her sweat-matted hair. _She thinks she's got me_. He threw a few feints to give the illusion of exhaustion. _Aaannnd ACTION!_ With alarming speed, Chris stepped behind Sally and grabbed both her arms. The Princess cried out in surprise. Chris held onto her wrists until he could feel her skin. He kicked her upper legs out one at a time until she was forced to the ground. He gave them one more kick and Sally was kneeling in the ground, though she was crying hard.

Chris' inner gentleman rushed to her aid. "Sally, Sally! Did I hurt you?" He saw a bit of blood on the ground. "Can you stand?" She nodded, her jaw quivering. He helped her up and gave her a hug. The Marines clapped. "One thing." She said. "Yeah?" She punched him in the chest right out of the ring into the arms of the UNSC Marines. He stood shocked. She laughed. "Combat is based solely on deception.

Mandalore said, "I like her."

The Marines dragged Chris to his feet. They slapped him on the arms giving him some words of encouragement, but Chris knew he would never be able to be in the same room as his men for at least a few weeks without being laughed at. Worse, he had to look at Sally. The victorious Mobian practically radiated pure smugness. Her ear-to-ear smile burned Chris worse than the strongest industrial-grade acid. The Marines shoved him into the ring. Chris stood a mere foot away from Sally. "Fighters, bow to each other!" The referee shouted. The Captain grudgingly bowed as low as he could. "The match is over! Sally Acorn is the clear winner! Be honored, human. You have fought a great competitor!"

Chris didn't feel very honored. Chris had always assumed _he_ was the better fighter. He had gotten so full of himself what he forgot Sally had trained in four Earth Martial Arts and two from Mobius. Suddenly, she hugged him. Chris was a little surprised at this. "What did you do that for? You just trounced up and down my ass!" "I know. You fought great." She said as she lightly kissed him on the cheek.

Mandalore walke dup to the pair and approvingly said, "Those who can fight together, and love together truly are the most deadly pair in the galaxy. I am proud to have trained you. I believe you are now ready to enter the tomb." Sally leaned on the Captain's shoulder. "You ready?" she asked. "Sure as hell am. You ready boys?" He called to his men. The Marines shouted "OORAH". The call was so loud that birds hurried out of the surrounding trees. Mandalore crossed his arms. "Just one more thing." The Captain stood up straight. "Yes?" "I need to check your mental knowledge just in case you run into something dangerous. What is the most optimal way to dispatch a battle droid without destroying it?" Chris answered, "Disable their servos." Mandalorian instructors had drilled him for hours on end about robots or "droids" as these people called them.

"What's the most optimal way to stay hidden from one?" Sally answered this one. "Try to match your body heat with your surrounding environment." Mandalore nodded. "Yes, but that's only if you're _not_ facing it. What if the droid is facing you head on?" a Marine in the back answered, "Use a stealth field generator and hope you can sneak past it." This went on for a few more minutes concerning traps, pitfalls, and skill questions that they may encounter. "Very well. You are ready to go. I will leave Raiken to guide you." Suddenly, there was a sonic boom. All the Mandalorians looked to the sky with blasters raised. "There's a ship entering the atmosphere. Make ready the blaster turrets and-" Sally squinted. "Wait! Its one of ours!"

A third D77H-TCI Pelican dropship entered Dxun's atmosphere. The olive drab hull warmed as it cut through the stratosphere. The dropship, Charlie-025 was a bit of a legend in Home Fleet. The Pelican had survived hundreds of insurgent attacks and diplomatic missions gone bad. Charlie had a shark mouth and eyes painted on her nose. A couple of paint streaks on the sides of her hull indicated how many Covenant Loyalists she had taken care of. Charlie's pilot and copilot were two of the best Navy jocks in the Fleet, but their passenger was almost entirely quiet.

In the troop bay, a long figure sat with her boot up against the bulkhead. She listened to some music that drifted through the dropship's single speaker. Earth rock tunes. This genre typically appealed to folks from Earth but this one person, a Corporal named Claire Poisson wasn't from Earth at all. She was born on the farm colony of Danntooine, a few dozen light years from Earth in the 51 Pegassi b system. Because of her heritage, she was regarded as a farm girl since most of the food that supplied Earth came from this tiny planet.

Claire was special too. Ever since she was small, the young woman had discovered her ability to communicate with the paranormal. This had made her appear strange to other children growing up on Danntooine. Claire left her home when she was 10 and went to Earth to live in Missouri. Ever since she joined the Marines, she had been placed in the PsyOps (Psychological Operations) division to aid in police forces solving crimes and fighting paranormal threats. That and the fact she could chop the hell out of anything with her katana. The UNSC officials ridiculed her because of her weapon choice, but secretly, she felt it defined her.

The Pelican nudged down to the Mandalorian camp. The Marines covered their faces as the jets kicked up dust and loose bits of grass. The tires extended from the dropship and the pilots shut the jets down. The rear hatch was already open so the pilots walked Claire out. The pilots' helmets were removed so Chris could see their angry faces. Apparently, they didn't like the young woman talking their ears off about anime and manga. Claire, like many in the galaxy was into the Japanese art of anime.

The pilots saluted Chris but froze when Mandalore made his appearance. The Navy fliers paled literally in seconds. Mandalore the Ultimate took one step forward and said quietly, "I don't believe I gave you permission to land." The pilots gulped. They could only see their pale faces in the visor. "N…no, I don't think so." The pilot said. The copilot gulped, "We…we had specific orders to…to…" Mandalore sighed. These humans were damn near impossible to talk to. "Get off my moon." He said in a raspy voice. The Navy pilots turned and ran for their bird. Not before shoving Claire towards Chris. "She's your problem now, Captain!" the pilot said sealing the troop bay. The jets reactivated and the Pelican hastily lifted into the sky. The Marines could spot the two pilots tug at the yokes to get the dropships into the air.

Raiken stared at the dot that was the pelican. "Man, they took out of here quick." He also stared at the faint outline of the _Phoenix_ in low orbit. "You know, the _Phoenix _has been in orbit for over a week now. The Onderonians aren't gonna like her being there much longer. They are a bit jumpy around Republic ships."

Claire stood in front of the unit. The UNSC Marines regarded their new member. Maybe it was the katana sword draped over her back, maybe it was her unique hairstyle under her cap. One way or another, she was _exactly_ what the doctor ordered.

Claire walked up to Chris and saluted. "Sir, Corporal Claire Poisson, 3rd PsyOps division reporting for duty. The Captain saluted her back. "Welcome to the squad, Poisson. I hope you feel comfortable here. Claire familiarized herself with everyone that was her rank or below. "Hey, my name's Claire." She would say. Some edged away from her, others shook hands. One PFC actually slapped 5 with her. She never approached Sally. The Mobian stood solemnly rubbing her arm in a hurt gesture. Chris said, "Say hi to her." "Are you sure?" She asked. "Yeah, I'll even talk to her."

Sally walked up to Claire. "Hey there, Claire. I'm Sally." Calire beamed and took her hand. She took a minute shaking her hand, experimenting. "Something wrong?" Sally asked. "No, I've never met a furry before. It's an adventure you know?" "First off, that's a racial slur where I'm from. Don't do it again." Chris nudged her shoulder, clearing his throat. "I…yeah, some people find it offensive." "Oh, thanks! I had no idea. I meant no offense." Sally shook her head. "None taken. I see the others haven't been very social." "Yeah, they stare at me." After a quick scan of her new friend, "They stare at you too. You're naked!" Sally sighed, "Again with the 'naked' thing! It's not bad where I come from!"

Chris left the girls chatting for a few minutes. The Captain glanced at his watch and looked at Onderon's primary moving in the sky. "Jeezus Christ in Heaven, pick it up you two!" Chris wasn't Christian. He wasn't _anything_. Religion didn't have much place in the 33rd century world. Occasionally, he did use a few choice phrases his ancestors frequently used. Mandalore walked up to him. "I may not appreciate your lack of control over your men; I do admire your patience." "Thanks, man. It comes with practice." He turned to his men and barked,

"If nobody else is going to drop out of the sky, I suggest we move in on our Emerald. Peters, welcome back. Take Third squad and follow me. Acorn, you and Johnson's team have point. And put some damn clothes on, Sally. You're wearing ot everyone's crotches!" "Yes sir." The replied in unison, Sally a little more embarrassed. "Marines, move _OUT!_" Instantly, the unit was in motion. Peters reluctantly felt his temple. "Oh hoh, I need an Advil. Dunham, give Fitzy the smallest gun we have. I don't feel like losing an eye over friendly fire." Chris barely heard Fitzy reply, "I resent that, Sarge!" "Who the hell cares what you think?" Then, silence of the jungle.

"Can you fight?" Chris asked Claire. The gifted Corporal took out her M39 Beretta and twirled it three times in her fingers. She slid a clip from her belt and inserted it in her pistol with a _click_. She racked the slide with a _clack_. "I think I'm good." "OK. My team, move out double time before Perry has a nervous breakdown." The humans laughed as they crossed the threshold into the wild jungle.

Mandalore looked at the retreating Marines. He sighed. "Such good men. I hope they survive. I'd feel real bad if we wasted their pathetic lives for this." Jaggar spoke up. "Sir, I believe that they are not _entirely_ pathetic and worthless." Mandalore looked around at Jaggar like he didn't believe what he was hearing. "Do my ears deceive me, Jaggar? Did I hear, dare I say it, kindness?" Jaggar's shoulders slumped. He was showing _kindness_, for goodness sakes. He was going to have to redeem himself by killing something big.

"Mandalore, those men have surprised me: their drive to succeed, their will to live. I…they're interesting." Mandalore nodded. It was a start. A Mandalorian with green armor came up to the clan leader. "Sir, Republic forces are approaching Malachor V! We're losing many men! We need to face the Republic." _And so destiny begins_. "Very well, Ergeron. Tell the clan to prepare for combat. Get the shuttle ready to meet the fleet. Time to fight."

In space, the _Phoenix_ was cruising high over the jungles as she had done all week. The Pelicans had returned from the moon and the pilots had reported that the passenger was offloaded. Perry was just about to order a scanner sweep when the COM console beeped. "Callows." He said. Ensign Callows spread his fingers over the keyboard calling up the message. A man with brown hair stood before them on the holotank. "Greetings. I am Colonel Tobin of the Onderonian military. The area you currently are in is off-limits and our records show that you have been there for one standard week. This is a formal warning to please clear the area or we will take appropriate action."

"Colonel, this is Captain Perry of the UNSC _Phoenix_. We cannot move our ship due to our crew still being on Dxun. We kindly request some more time before they can return." Tobin's temper turned up a notch. "This is not a stop-and-go station, Captain. You can't just land wherever you like. Once again, I am offering you a chance to get away from this and we can forget the matter." Even as he said this, a few Onderonian ships appeared in space, called from the edges of the system. "I'm sorry, Colonel, I can't do that." Tobin tugged at his gloves. "Well then, I guess you'll just have to be arrested. Do not resist or we will open fire on your ship." "Catch us if you can, you bastard." He snapped off the display.

"Okay, all personnel, report to your battle stations. Bianca, sound General Quarters. Red Alert all decks. Seal bulkheads on all decks too." Bianca obliged and soon, red lights were pulsing around the bridge. Pressure doors slid down on the entrance to the command bridge, sealing them off from the rest of the ship." Bianca couldn't resist. "I take it we're _not _going to stand down?" "You bet we aren't. I'm not letting this nut lock us away. TAC officer, what's the status on our MAC guns?"

The Mobian Feline MAC officer tapped on her keyboard. She flicked her gingery-blond hair out of her face. "MAC guns 1 and 2 are fully charged. Removing safeties now, sir. Archer missiles pods are A-OK." Perry huffed. "Autocannons?" Bianca sounded, "I'll take care of those, Captain. Do you honestly think we can take on 4, no 5 ships and dozens of starfighters?" "Of course we can't. I hope we can buy enough time for the boys downstairs to find whatever the hell they're looking for and get out of here." He turned up-bridge. "What are shields at?" TAC responded, "Fully charged sir. We're ready for some fire."

"How far are those ships?" Ensign Brigs calculated. "Uh…500,000 kilometers sir, and closing hell-a fast." He sat in his command chair and pulled his cap over his head. "Give me best speed. Adjust attack angle one-four-two by three-one-nine." "Aye sir." "Course bearing one-four-two by three-one-nine.


	7. Chapter 6: The Tomb

Chapter 6: The Tomb

October 22nd, 3235, 1321 hours

Dxun

En Route to mysterious tomb

At first there was nothing but the near-silent rustling of the jungle. A flock of perched birds cawed curiously as the armed humans crossed below them. The UNSC Marines were hardened because of their period spent in the Mandalorian camp. They were trained by the best of the best and were dispatched to retrieve the jewel.

That's what Captain Chris Vennettilli found was odd about this whole engagement. This was an _Emerald_. You don't need two squads of Marines to get an Emerald. But the Captain thought about his past experiences with these jewels. He had seen fleets of starships decimated at once with a swift blast of Chaos Energy. He had seen men torn to shreds before his eyes, unable to withstand the raw, unrefined power coursing from the jewel. He paced silently in the jungle. He stared at his new companion, Claire. She had her chin firmly placed levelly towards the horizon, her katana strapped across her back. "So, you can speak to ghosts?" she shrugged. "I can speak to ghosts, I can fight them if need be, I have limited telepathy and only a slight bit of telekinesis." Chris was surprised. "Really? Show me."

Claire whipped her pistol from her holster with lightning speed. See that fruit there?" The Captain nodded. He saw the fruit, but it was 90 degrees to his left; nowhere near where Claire was pointing. She squeezed her trigger and a round belched out of the gun. Before Chris knew what was going on, the fruit exploded. The Marines started raising their weapons. Chris could hardly believe it. "Wow." He said. Only twice in his life he had seen telekinesis in action. Once when he was 7 years old in New York when a magician made a half-dollar float in front of his eyes and fly around his head in Grand Central Station, and today. Chris had kept that half-dollar as a sigh that magic _does _happen

"What's going on? I heard a shot!" Johnson said walking up to them. Chris just smiled. "Don't worry, Sergeant. Everything's fine." "Are you sure? We don't need a firefight." Chris nodded. "I'm sure, Sergeant. Get back with the group." Avery saluted. "Yes sir." "I hope you can help us in there. Kaiden tells us that the spirits in there are unlike anything we've ever seen." "I hope so too, Cap. This is my first real mission."

Johnson sucked on his cigar, relishing the sweet fumes coming from it. It made some of the Marines gag but Johnson liked that. The foul smell would keep his boys on their toes, and out of the body bags. Sally stood at the head of the pack in Johnson's absence. "Everything OK, Avery?" She asked. Johnson laughed. "Yeah. Cap and his new playmate are experimenting." Johnson walked up alongside Sally. "Don't know about you princess, but she kind scares me." Sally huffed. Sure she thought Claire was special in a way, but 'scary' was an entirely different matter.

"You're scared, old man? I like her. She's the typical teen of this millennium. I think you're still suffering from culture shock." Johnson laughed. "Freezer burn, more likely." Sally also joined in on the laugh. She could use one. He decided to change the subject to something that was nagging him.

"That bat-girl, Rouge. You know what she's doing on his ship?" Sally scowled. She didn't like Rouge. Didn't she make that point clear in New Mombasa a few months back? "Don't know, Avery. All I do know is that she reports to ONI Section 0." Johnson took another puff. "Section 0? God damn. Those are the spookiest of the spooky. So, uh…any guesses?" "Hell, she's very tight lipped. I tried to crack her on the way to the armory, but she's shut up tighter than the Federal Reserve. She reports to the President. Real big stuff, Sarge." Sally decided to look at the flora and fauna. It was all unique. This _did_ feel like the frontier days. Suddenly, something caught her eye. She twisted her head and found Johnson staring at her.

"Sarge…what are you doing?" She nervously smiled. "Oh…nothing." Sally chuckled. "You aren't checking me out old man, are you?" "No. I'm not. You remind me of someone I met on Mobius." "Get out! You've met someone?" "I have. She looks very much like you. Name's Celena. Hotter than molten iron. I was wondering…how can it work? I know the Captain and you…uh…"

Ah. Mobian/Human relationships. Completely forbidden by many Human religions especially the Catholic Church. She despised the lot of them. People no matter where they're from could be with whomever they chose. "First thing's first, Johnson: Never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. If there's a connection, go for it. You need to-" Suddenly, explosions dotted the sky. "What the fuck is that?" Fitzy asked frantically.

Chris sighted his binoculars and zoomed to the highest setting. He could barely see the outlines of ships exchanging fire. He could instantly recognize the long streaks of Magnetic Accelerator Cannon rounds. "Oh shit!" Ryan grabbed the binoculars. "What's going on?" suddenly, his mouth dropped open in fear. "Oh no, no, no!"

Chris ran ahead. "EVERYONE, THE _PHOENIX_ IS UNDER ATTACK!" Marines stared at the sky and cawed protest. "Oh hell no!" "That's our ride home!" "My magazines are on that ship!" "Fuck. Well, goodnight everyone." The Captain ran to Sally. "Princess! I need NICOLE!" Sally reached into her boot's leather strap and handed the computer to Chris with shaking hands. Chris pried it open. "NICOLE, I need your help!" The Mobian AI suddenly appeared in the center miniaturized. The female lynx brushed her hair over her shoulder. "I'm here, Chris. What do you need?" The Capatin stuttered, "T…the _Phoenix_ is under attack!" NICOLE turned around and looked at the destruction. "Oh no…" She said as her holographic jaw dropped. Suddenly, the AI was all flare.

"OK, hang on boys and girls. Establishing a link to the _Phoenix_." She added with a small snarl, "Expect delays."

Perry shouted, "GIVE 'EM FULL BROADSIDE!" to The TAC officer. The Mobian's fingers danced over the display and her fur had puffed a little. She wore a self satisfied smile though. "Firing sir!" The Autocannons boomed and shot 50mm slugs screaming through space into the enemy's ship. Their shields had already dissipated so the rounds chipped the Onderonian military vessel away slowly. Holes appeared in the hull and vented metal and atmosphere. "Adjust yaw! Give them both tubes!" the Briggs twins sent controls to the engine and the ship spun about so that the _Phoenix_ met the cruiser in a T formation. "FIRE!" Perry screamed. The TAC officer shouted, "Firing! See you in hell, boys!"

The MAC cannons fired their deadly tungsten rounds at 9/10ths the speed of light. Before anyone on the bridge could bat an eyelash, the two 300 ton sticks of death impacted on the side of the Onderonian cruiser. The extreme range and force of the impact broke the military starship in two and sent secondary explosions dotting around the hull. The pin-wheeling hulk spun in space with the aid of the venting gasses into Onderon's gravity well. In minutes, the entire wreck would be on fire burning up on reentry. Anyone who survived the boomstick attack would fry in the atmosphere.

Bianca spun around the Autocannons. These models were 200 years old but still worked like a charm. These cannons utilized magnetic coils to drag the rounds out of the tube into space. This coupled with the traditional gas operated system would deliver a deadly gift to the enemy. Each one flared silently in space as they tore single-ships apart. _I'm wasting ammo_ she thought to herself.

Suddenly, Turret 4 exploded. Bianca recoiled as if she was hit. Swarms of Aurek fighters started pounding the ship. The near-invisible energy shield was starting to stress. The TAC officer screeched, "Sir, shield is close to buckling! Turret 4 has been neutralized and Turrets 1 and 3 are running dangerously low on ammo." Perry tugged at his cap. A gash had appeared on his temple and blood was flowing down his cheek. "How are our MAC guns?" "Still operational, sir." Perry nodded. "Good, keep them running hot. Bianca, what's the status on pulse lasers?" The AI placed a hand on her holographic temple. "All green, sir."

The M-97A2 Point Defense Pulse Lasers were mounted all over the _Phoenix_. The UNSC had employed laser systems on their ships about three decades after the Human/Covenant War. They were originally _given_ to the Humans by the Sangheili forces. The weapons haven't been perfect over the long years but they could pack a major wallop.

Bianca decided to give them a workout. She sent two solid beams of ionized Hydrogen Flouride at the nearest Aurek fighter that came too close to her. The tiny fighter vaporized instantly. She smiled and redirected her aim towards the other capital ships. The lasers took a fair bit out of their shields and a volley of MAC rounds punched their noses in, holing the ship head-on.

"Damn, I think we may have a chance after all!" Perry said smiling. The pulse lasers kept firing at the single ships leaving trails of ion in their wake. The gasses were cooking space itself. The problem: sustained fire was draining the shields _very_ quickly.

"Sir! Readings for the energy shields are dropping into the red zone!" The TAC officer said, her eyes darting from side to side reading the reports from Shield Engineering. "Divert power from Autocannons to shields. Those lasers are taking care of the ships much better." "Aye sir. Diverting power." Aurek fighters burst into flames cutting the tiny fighters apart. Longswords sent streams of pulse weapons and machine gun fire chasing after the diminutive craft. "Where do they keep coming from?" one of the Briggs twins asked. "Damn. Adjust course bearing two-two-seven by four-nine-one." "Aye sir. Adjusting."

Thrusters blew the _Phoenix _away from the lines of fire. The destroyer kept on bravely fighting off the Onderonian fighters. A message pinged on Callows' station. Perry flinched. He hadn't expected a message to get through this fire. "What the hell is that?" He asked Callows. The Ensign opened the message. "Sir, it's an AI handshake signal coming from the moon. Should I accept?" The Captain nodded. "Do it. Keep fire on those ships, Lieutenant!" The feline officer nodded. "Aye sir, keeping fire."

Bianca's hologram shuddered into view. "It's NICOLE. She's trying to establish a handshake." "Let her in." "Yes, Captain. Handshake protocols engaged. Activating two-way COM systems. The Personal AI's voice filtered through the COM station. "_Captain Perry, what the hell is going on up there? The men are frantic!_" "We have a situation. The local military doesn't like our presence here." Perry said. "Recommend you get your hands on the God forsaken Emerald and get the hell out of there." "_Copy that, Captain. What's the status of the _Phoenix?" Perry took time answering that question. "Uh…it's going. Shields are taking a pounding from these fighters. Little buggers are swarming around us like carrion. We'll be OK, though." "_Are you sure, Captain? My readings indicate that the hull has been compromised on two decks, you've lost one autoturret and your shields are dangerously close to failing._" Perry wasn't in the mood for talk. "NICOLE, it's kind of hard to concentrate on the battle right now. Tell the Captain to keep on the objective. Don't worry about us. We'll be fine!" "_Yes sir. If you say so. NICOLE out._"

NICOLE's form appeared clear again. "He cut me off." She said staring at the Captain. "Is he OK?" She sighed and rubbed her holographic shoulder. "I don't know, Chris. The _Phoenix_ is really taking a pounding. If I read those radar signatures correctly, there's _ten_ more ships inbound to intercept the _Phoenix_." Chris glared around him. All eyes were on him. _Make a decision, you bastard!_ He thought to himself. He cleared his throat and said, "The sooner we get that jewel, the sooner we can rendezvous with Perry. He's waiting for us up there. Let's go, Marines! I wanted you moving _twenty_ minutes ago!" The soldiers leapt into action. Kaiden walked up to the Captain. "The tomb isn't far. I still don't think this is wise for you. Maybe you should have brought a larger force." Chris waved him away. "I think 20 men will be sufficient. No unnecessary measures needed." Kaiden bowed. "Very well, sir. I trust you judgement." Chris shuddered. "Now why did you have to go and say that now?" He checked the load on his rifle and followed his men.

It was twenty minutes before they reached a clearing. Kaiden and two other Mandalorians checked for booby traps. "All clear. You can move up." He called. Vennettilli motioned his men forward. Before them stood a giant building: It was hundreds of feet high and was guarded by four giant colossuses. Their carved hands held swords that sunk into the ground. Sally gaped in awe. "Holy fuck. Chris…I think this was the building from the dream." "What?" The Captain called back. He forgot Sally's dream

"The dream, Chris! I've been having dreams about this building!" She pulled NICOLE from her leg pouch. "NICOLE. What exactly am I looking at?" "Accessing Republic Databases…Hmm. If I'm reading this right, you are staring at the tomb of the Dark Jedi Freedon Nadd. He ruled Onderon hundreds of years ago. Apparently his tomb was moved here."

A few Marines stood at the edge of a massive lake. One picked up a rock and skipped it across the murky surface. "Hah! I got three!" he said triumphantly. His companion was not to be undone. He picked up a flat piece of stone and hurled it across the lake. He made four skips before the stone impacted on a rock. After the rock opened its eyes, he realized, _it wasn't a rock!_"

The giant serpent raised its head above the water and gave a shriek that seemed to make the mountains crumble. Chris turned around and saw the creature move towards the petrified Marines. He raised his rifle and fired a burst of automatic fire. The bullets impacted on the serpent's hide and green blood flowed from the wound. The beast howled in pain and crawled for land. It tried to take a bite at the Marine who had thrown the stone but he and his friend ran for cover. The entire clearing was alive with gunfire. The Captain pointed at the entrance to the tomb. "SALLY! SLICE THAT DOOR!" The Mobain nodded and ran for the ancient door. She slid to a stop and put NICOLE in front of the mechanism. "Can you open it?" "_Yeah. Just place my infrared scanner in front of it. I'll try to establish a link._" The Princess did as she was told and a green light flashed on the computer. "Did you do it?" "_Hold on, Sal. I need to work around some old circuits here. It's not exactly showcase-new in here._" She looked over her shoulder at the humans who fought for their lives. "Hurry, NICOLE."

"COME HERE YOU WORM!" Ryan said spraying the serpent with bullets from his HMG. The beast was still stubborn. It refused to die. Chris got a little too close and the giant snake took a swipe at him with its tail. The creature connected and Chris was thrown across the clearing into three Marines. "Thanks, guys." He said. The Marines picked up their helmets. "Yeah, any time, Cap." One of them said.

Claire took a swipe at the creature with her katana. She had somehow gotten to the creature's neck level and was determined to find its jugular vein. Metal cut hide and blood spurted. Close, but no cigar. The creature's main vein needed to be somewhere else. It may even be inside the snake's body too far to cut. "_Got it! Everyone needs to get inside now!_" Sally said over her COM. The marines backpedaled towards the opening of the tomb. A few comrades carried their wounded friends into the ancient building. A few more rounds were sent after it, but none of them really did any damage. Vennettilli was the last man through the door before NICOLE sealed it behind them.

The antechamber was quite long. Marines lay against the walls and took a breath. A few cries of "Medic!" resonated in the hallway. Medical personnel went to see off the men. Chris asked for a status report. "Some of these guys aren't doing so well. A few serious injuries. Lance Corporal Nuuman will die without proper medical attention. The Captain saw Nuuman's condition. The young man had lost his left arm. He wept silently and cradled his stump that was wet with blood. Chris gagged slightly as he could see small shafts of white bone poking through a bandage. "He's losing blood fast and we don't have any biofoam on us." The Captain nodded. "OK. Stay here with the men. I'll take a squad forward to secure the Emerald." The medic nodded. "Yes, sir. Good luck." The Captain laughed. "It's just a walk down the hall. What's the worst that can happen?"

The tomb was very dark. Sally gulped and aimed her gun. It was equipped with a flashlight that helped to cut through the darkness. "NICOLE, do you have a map of this area?" "_Negative, Sal. Rocks are too thick to secure a .map file. You'll have to scout it out on your own, or find a terminal._" Ryan gestured around him. "It's a _tomb_! We're not going to find a computer in a tomb!" Johnson puffed on his cigar, rolled it around in his mouth and said, "Remember Corporal, these things have been around longer than our civilization has ever been. Scares the shit out of me to think of how old this place is."

"Careful, guys." Chris said breathing lightly. "There might be some traps hidden for us or something-" Suddenly, the ground dropped beneath the Captain. He yelped and grabbed the edge of the pitfall. He let go of his rifle and it fell into the darkness. "Captain!" A marine yelled. Two others helped the Captain up when jets of flame shot out of the walls. "RUN!" Vennettilli ordered his men.

It was the longest ten seconds of their lives. A spike jutted out of the wall and impaled a Marine through the chest. The man died immediately and was flung into the wall. Sally expertly dodged pitfalls and flame jets. The Captain was cautious and guessed when the next one occurred. A Marine was lit on fire. Chris couldn't bear to hear to hear the screams. A final leap through the doors was all they needed. The surviving Marines entered the main chamber. The flaming Marine rolled around on the stone in a desperate attempt to put his flames out. A few Marines slapped his uniform to put out the flames.

Chris put his face in his hands. Sally was crying in a corner, holding her knees to her chin, and many soldiers were very glum. The Medic walked up to him. "Just got the body count." He said solemnly. "We lost Curtis in a pitfall. He fell a hundred feet and died from concussion. Oddly enough, his armor protected the rest of his body. "Private Deckies was killed by the spike over there." Chris didn't want to look. Deckies' eyes were rolled up into his head. Blood leaked onto the floor and made a sick splashing sound on the floor. "Did he die quick?" The Captain asked. "No. It must have been quick but painful." The Captain extracted the spike with a sickening _shunk_. He dared not look into the hole where the ancient trap had pierced his colleague's body. The medic reached into his duffel bag and extracted a body bag. He unfolded it and placed Deckies' body inside of it. _Poor kid_. Chris thought to himself. He fought back tears as he closed the Marine's eyes. Sometimes it hurt too much.

Sally had come to her senses. She wiped her nose and looked around. "Guys, that big doorway looks like our way inside!" Chris was busy listening to the casualty report. _Damn him_, she thought. "Maybe it is, but it's locked tight." Johnson said, crushing his now short cigar and inserting a new one into his mouth. "Dude, you need help." Ryan said as the Sergeant Major lit up yet another Sweet William Cigar. "Pfft. I survived 600 years in a freezer; I can smoke whenever the _hell_ I want to." Sally's temper flared. These men were getting on her nerves. "You're all taking this very lightly for a squad who's just lost 4 men!" Johnson took the cigar out of his mouth and blew out the smoke. "Let me tell you something, princess." He paused for dramatic effect. "I watched my own men get assimilated right before my eyes. I saw men devolve into feral, horrifying monsters."

Sally knew what he was talking about. The Flood. The parasitic alien lifeform was stuff of legend now. But back in the 26th century, they were feared. And 100,000 years previous, the galaxy nearly belonged to them. Her ancestors wouldn't have been born, she would exist. Not Ryan, not Chris, nobody. She stared into Johnson's eyes. They were dark with fear. "Jenkins…the poor bastard was right next to me. I tried to save him, but it was too late. He was one of theirs." The sergeant then turned away. She could tell that the event brought great pangs of sorrow. She decided to lighten his mood. "Come on, Avery. Let's find a way to open this door." He nodded. "Percy, stay behind. Kaiden, come with us." The Mandalorian nodded. "Yes, Sergeant. I'm right behind you."

A short walk up the hallway to the right led to a circular room. "That terminal." Kaiden said pointing to a circular structure. Sally walked up to it and placed NICOLE on the keyboard. "Access the computer and find a way to open that door." "_Working on it. Would it kill you to say please?_" "Sometimes, I preferred you without a personality." "_Real classy, Sally. Fighting with a computer._" Kained said to Johnson, "Is she_ always_ like this?" The Sergeant took a draft. "Don't ask."

"_OK, I've got it. The door is open._" Sally cocked an eyebrow. "You're serious? That barely took a second!" "_Yeah. Funnily enough, opening the door was the largest program on there. You know the server capacity is only a petabyte?_" Sally shook her head. "Amazing." She activated the COM hooked over her ear in her cap. "Sergeant Major Acorn to Captain Vennettilli, over?" "_Copy that, Acorn. What have you got for me, Sally?_" the Mobian looked at the screen. "The door appears to be opening now, over." "_Yeah, we can see that now. Regroup and let's move in, out._"

Barely a second after Chris shut the COM off, Claire clutched at her forehead. "What's wrong, Corporal?" Claire's eyes shifted from side to side. "We've just done something. Something _terrible_. _Somebody_ is not happy about this." Chris tried to understand what she was saying. "Are you saying that we've disturbed a ghost or something?" "Yes, Captain! This is an ancient burial ground. Despite its antiquity, laws of respect apply! We've invaded one's resting place! This spirit is not the one you want to meet in a séance, believe me."

The survivors walked down the ramp into the room that just opened. A few marines whistled. "Wow. Look at the size of this place." A Marine said. Kainden chimed in. "The Sith always prided their Dark Lords with the best they could make for them." A small box sat at the far end of the room in front of a large pool of water. "That must be it!" Chris said. Cautiously, he raised his battle rifle and ordered, "Follow me. Check for traps or gun emplacements. Wide open room means less cover." "Roger, sir." Claire also walked forward. The UNSC captain nearly placed a hand on the box when…

_Get Away!_

Claire screamed, "_He's here!_" Lightning flashed in the water, connecting with the ceiling creating a surreal scene. A figure shifted into view. He was a phantom with no eyes and a skeleton like face. He was however, wearing an ornate robe. "What the _hell_ is that?!" Sally said raising her revolved in fear. "_The Dark Lord Freedon Nadd!_" NICOLE also said equally afraid. "_His spirit anyway._"

Nadd's ghost closed in around the Marines. Their guns quivered in fear. "I…It's a GHOST!" One shouted. Chris breathed, "Thank you for stating the obvious." The phantom crossed its arms. "Who enters my tomb? My place of rest?" Chris gulped and stepped forward. "We seek the Blood Emerald Lord Nadd." An eyebrow cocked on the Dark Lord's skeletal face. "The ancient jewel? Ah, but it is not here." A few cries of "_WHAT?_" Rose from the ranks. "Its not? Well then, I suppose we can go then and look for it-" Ryan began, but the Sith Lord cut him off. "You cannot leave. You have entered my burial chamber and you are servants of the Light. You SHALL not leave alive!"

At once, Nadd jumped inside a body of an unfortunate UNSC Marine. The soldier next to him asked, "Marcus? Is that y-" before the possessed Marine stabbed his friend in the stomach and dragged the knife up to his ribcage. The solder screamed in pain and fell over dead. Marcus/Nadd inspected the gun that was in his hands.

"We can't just shoot him, can we?" Sally said looking at Chris for advice. The surviving Marines shifted their eyes to their Captain, then back to their sights. "I-" Nadd shot two men with the assault rifle in his hands. The bullets struck the men in the chest area and splattered the men behind them with blood and guts. _I'm going to hell_. "FIRE, MARINES!" The UNSC soldiers fired everything they had at the possessed soldier. Either him or them. The body Nadd had entered was reduced to a red, meaty pulp. It refused to die though. The body screamed. Imagine hearing a being scream through a punctured larynx. Not pretty.

"Nadd urged the body forward. Red lightning bolts flew from his hands and caught a Marine who screamed helplessly in the air. He was thrown to the ground with all the force of a car crash. The Marines winced as they heard the sounds of bones cracking and organs being squished. Claire suddenly jumped ahead of the pack and fired her M-39 at the possessed body. The heavy caliber slugs tore sections of the already ruined body away, revealing bone structure underneath and the horrible sight of a still-beating heart.

The Corporal thrust her hand onto the face of the body the Dark Lord had possessed. She muttered long string of words in Latin. "Is…is she _exorcising _him?" Sally said pausing and lowering her rifle. Suddenly, the body screamed again. Its bare eyes rolling up in its head. Claire took the opportunity to swipe her katana across the body's throat. The head separated and spiraled in the air. A long stream of blood shot from the neck and arced in the air.

Chris took the opportunity to open the box. Inside was not the Emerald as Nadd's spirit had suggested, but a holographic projector of some sort. Instantly, the device warmed and a hologram of the galaxy appeared. It covered the entire altar. "NICOLE, get this down now!" "_Recording. Stand by…_"

The body collapsed after trying to move a few more steps, but Freedon Nadd's influence over it wasn't enough. It fell on the floor with a sick _splash_ and disintegrated into dark energy. Nadd's spirit suddenly appeared again. It was angry and his eyes began to glow dark red. "_Got it! The Map is on file. It appears to be a treasure map of some sort. One planet tells us where to go next. Pretty had to crack without an AI of course._"

Nadd's spirit was shooting lightning from its fingertips. Chris yelled, "WE HAVE WHAT WE CAME FOR! GET OUT OF HERE, MARINES!" The survivors bolted for the door. The shade of Freedon Nadd screamed in protest and picked up a Marine with Sith Magic. The soldier was flung against the far wall and died on impact. "RUN FASTER, YOU MAGGOTS!" Johnson crowed, but he had tears of fear in his eyes. This was Freddy Kruger shit right here; 10 times scarier than the Flood.

Sally quickly bounded to the front of the pack. Her powerful legs carried her to the lead. She did this for a reason. She plucked NICOLE from her leg holster in mid-stride. "NICOLE, open the door now!" She pointed the AI's case towards the door. "_Done! Get moving! Go, go, GO!_" The door leading to the antechamber opened and the Marines ran inside the passage and through the pitfalls and traps. Amazingly, none of them died. The Captain screamed, "Get the wounded out of here!" to the Medic. The doctor gathered up the hurt Marines and urged them outside. Nadd's dark spirit was catching up to them. "Get the fuck away! Leave us alone!" Sally said with tears in her eyes. "Just leave us alone!" Her voice cracked.

"Almost there…" Ryan said urging his legs to move fast despite the AIE-486H in his hands. The survivors crossed the threshold into the Dxun jungle. The Dark Lord's spirit screamed as the stone door closed. The scream echoed on the mountains but nothing came to confront them. The Marines gasped for breath. The captain was the first one up and scanned the area with his rifle. Satisfied, he ordered everyone to get up. "Oh man, I think we actually did it!" Ryan said clutching his heaving chest. "I have an imprint of my heart on my ribs!" some Marines laughed. The Captain called a somber roll-call. He checked off whoever didn't answer as KIA. There were no MIAs on that list. "What a waste." He said after finishing, tugging the brim of his cap over his eyes.

He activated his COM headset. "UNSC _Phoenix_, this is Captain Vennettilli. We're all done here on the surface. We have a map." The other side was full of white noise. "_Say…gain, you…have…Emerald?_" "Negative. There was no Emerald but we found a map that might show us where it is." "_Shit! Pelicans...bound_" "Roger that, _Phoenix_. Captain Vennettilli out."

While they waited for the Pelicans, the group sat around the outside of the tomb. Chris made a makeshift cross out of two battle rifles (retrieved from Ryan's infinitely huge bag no less) and jamming them into the ground. Chris may not have been Christian, but he hoped that somebody was watching over the souls of the soldiers who needlessly died. "Regulations be damned." He said quietly.

"What I wanna know is why Nadd's spirit didn't come through that door." Ryan said with a piece of a sandwich in his mouth. "He was a ghost and all. Why didn't he attack us?" Claire cleared her throat. "That's because ghosts are sometimes bound to one place for all eternity until they are redeemed or put to rest. The Dark Lord was definitely not at peace and therefore was bound to the tomb, never to leave its premises." Johsnon nervously puffed on his cigar. "That bastard scared the living shit out of me. I'm not turning the lights off for a week in my room."

The familiar sonic boom filled the air. Sally shuddered. He knew why. Every time a Pelican broke the sound barrier and made that boom, it reminded her of Sonic. It was no question that Chris and Sally _really_ liked each other, but she still wasn't over the hedgehog. Sonic had never figured out what was going on between the two, but Chris always felt he should come clean. Not like Sonic could do anything about it. Chris was the one with the gun!

The Pelican glided down to their level. The pilot tilted the nacelles so that the wings were almost perpendicular to the ground. The pilot didn't lower the tires or cut the engine. A Marine fired the tail-gun in the troop bay and something screamed in anguish. "Come on! Get your asses on the ship!" He yelled over the howling of the dropship's jets. The Marines took the hint. The shit had hit the fan in orbit. The _Phoenix_ was in a losing fight. Despite her archaic but powerful weaponry, no destroyer could take on ten ships of the same tonnage range and come out on top. Maybe a ship the size of the _Indomitable_ but that was a whole other ball game. The survivors clambered on board and got into as many seats as they could. Just before the Pelican took off, Ryan looked at the thing that was killed. "What's that?" he said pointing to the creature. Kaiden and the other two Mandalorians laughed. "That's a cannok!" Ryan and a few other Marines looked dumbfounded. "_That_ is a cannok? That looks like a bald, fat, scaly dog! I had nightmares for a week wondering what it was!" The Mandalorians had a good laugh about it and the troop bay closed. The Marines looked out the porthole of the dropship's extended troop bay. The jungle was falling away from them and the sky was turning black. Sally sniffed her armpit. "Hey, how do I smell?" Chris took a whiff of the aroma. He nearly gagged. They_ all_ stunk from being on that swampball. "Ripe." He said covering his nose.

The space around them filled with green and red lasers. Explosions also dotted the night. "Hey, how are we doing up here?" the Captain said walking up to the cockpit. "Shitty." The pilot said through his helmet visor. "It was going well at first but they started to attack us _en masse_. The shields on the old bird won't hold up for much longer." Vennettilli nodded. "Then we need to get the hell out of here. Acorn! Tell NICOLE to send the co-ordinates of our next jump vector to Perry. We need to get out of here!"

Sally saluted. "You heard him, NICOLE. Get busy." "_Right, right. I'm on it, Sal. Hang tight._" The troops waited for a full ten seconds before NICOLE returned. "_OK, the co-ordinates are locked in. We just need to get back to the launch bays and hold on._" The pilot said, "Easier said than done, lady." The Pelican banked and rolled over Aurek fighters. The copilot sent hundreds of rounds of automatic fire from the Pelican's chin-gun towards fighters. The Onderonian Separatist ships exploded on impact and the dropship flew through the cloud of cooling gas. The tiny ship bucked as a shockwave hit them. A nearby hammerhead cruiser exploded and cracked in two. The perpetrator, the _Phoenix_ was only a few hundred kilometers away. "Get us there, now! Use the afterburners!" The pilot nodded and started the afterburning sequence. In atmospheric conditions, afterburners made aircraft wicked fast. In space, it was damn near impossible to keep consciousness for more than ten seconds on them.

The dropship rocketed forward with incredible speed. They crossed the gap between them and the Phoenix in no time at all, with the pilots coasting the rest of the way. The tiny dropship slowed down and eased its way into the _Phoenix_'s launch bay. Hellcats were being recalled and were landing on the launch path and were taxied to their berths. Everything from Warthogs and Scorpions, and even a Boomer 'Mech was being secured for the jump. They felt the engines pushing the destroyer around and then, they sped into space.

Colonel Tobin cancelled the feed. _Blast! They got away._ He stood on the bridge of the Onderonian cruiser, _Galia's Hand_. His brows furrowed in anger and he gritted his teeth. This Republc attack was the worst of its kind. Four ships were destroyed and hundreds of his soldiers were killed. It wouldn't go unpunished. Tobin would not stand for it.

Back on the _Phoenix_ safe in Hyperspace, Chris asked NICOLE, "What is our next destination?" NICOLE took some time answering this. "If I am reading this correctly, the next part of the map is located somewhere on the desert planet of Tatooine."


	8. Chapter 7: Kamino

Chapter 7: Kamino

October 25th, 3235, 1452 hours

Deep Space on the Corellia Trade Routes

Randomized jumps were tricky things. For one thing, there were dangers in interstellar space that could kill unwary pilots quite quickly and painfully. Also, equally as often, these dangers were easily avoidable. None of these thoughts occurred to Dr. Ivo Robotnik as he slipped in and out of Hyperspace to cover his tracks.

Ever since his escape from Coruscant almost ten days ago, the Doctor had been on the run. The Republic was probably nipping at his heels and what was more, the UNSC itself. Oh, it made him shudder with anger that he was nearly caught again. _Seriously Julian, you're getting sloppy_. The Earthmen had nearly locked him away on several occasions. Once he escaped by a hair back in Robotropolis. That was thanks to luck. This time, he set a new all-time high.

What was left of Eggman's cruiser was in rough shape. The bridge had sustained heavy fire from the Earth destroyer, the _Phoenix_. The 50mm MLA Autocannons had actually punched through his shields! The Depleted Uranium slugs had punctured the structure of his pod possibly due to the fact that the shield had flared out during ascension through the atmosphere.

Regardless, he had made it out of there alive. He would have to go under another name. 'Doctor Robotnik' could have popped up on the Republic Databases right now if he checked, assuming the Humans had put out an APB on him.

Right now, the Doctor was sitting in his command chair, staring out into the maelstrom of Hyperspace. In his right hand, he twirled the dark red Sol Emerald around, in the other, a martini mixed to perfection with an olive. He was surprised so many bottles of alcohol had survived the destruction of his ship.

"You are going to be such a large help to me." He whispered to the gem. He did have big plans for the Emerald. Robotnik wanted to build up a magnificent army and infuse them with the powers of this Sol Emerald. It would be risky, no doubt. But the payoff would be unimaginable.

Doctor Eggman scanned the galaxy map. He had piggybacked the translation software from the _Phoenix_, so he'd be able to go wherever he pleased. This time, Eggman noticed a small analomy located in what the Republic called 'Wild Space'. Apparently, this small section of the galaxy had an incredibly high gravitational pull, yet according to the galaxy map, there was nothing there in plain sight.

Robotnik placed the Emerald on his chair arm and his hand flew to his chin. He rubbed it thoughtfully for a few seconds and tugged at his moustache. He said out loud, "That all makes sense. Why in the world would there be a gravitational force here if there were _no_ planet? There's definitely not a black hole since it's not red flagged." Just for good measure he checked the same map twenty years previous. The same analomy came up.

"I KNEW IT!" There's something there! It'll be the ultimate hiding spot! A planet _this_ remote would serve as an excellent staging area for my army!" "Yes Doctor. Most brilliant." The helmsman droned through his voice box. Eggman smiled. He didn't mind the flattery from his robots. Indeed, he was the one who programmed them with it in the first place! "Helmsman, plot a course for Wild Space, co-ordinates uploading to your monitor now."

The robot beeped. "Yes, Doctor. Plotting jump path." A few seconds later, "Hyperspace drive engaging." The ship sped off into the night.

A direct jump took about 2 days from the edge of Corellian Space. Thankfully, he was able to make a direct jump without immediately endangering his own life. The closest he was to death when he accidentally skimmed a little close to Ryloth's mass shadow, the imprint of mass in Hyperspace.

The kaleidoscope disappeared and all there was in front of him was a blue ball with gray-white clouds and a large red, angry sun. "Jackpot!" The Doctor said cracking an ear-to-ear smile. "No doubt that red giant up there is what's causing the large gravitational mass. It has to be since it's dragging 13 planets. The farthest one away from here is about 402 AUs away from here." "Yes doctor." The robots chimed in again. Eggman cackled. "Take us in for a closer look!"

The ship flew through space closer and closer to this mysterious planet's atmosphere. Eggman took his glasses off and wiped them on his shirttails. "Good Lord." He said looking at the planet with large eyes. "How much of the planet is covered in water?" the NAV bot did a topographical calculation. "Analyzing, Doctor. Stand by…" Robotnik rapped his fingers on the chair arm. "Doctor, the planet is 99.67 per cent covered by Hydrogen Dioxide aqueous." "What's the .33 per cent?" "Doctor, that small percentile of the planet that is above water is that of super-tall mountains. According to topographical maps, the bases of these mountains are located a few miles below sea level." Robotnik leaned forward, genuinely interested. "What happened here?" he said more to himself than his NAV bot. It answered anyway.

"Sir, this unit's guess is that a global cataclysm happened here in prehistoric times. Sea levels grew to the point where absolutely no land-bound creatures could survive." The Doctor coked an eyebrow. "So you're saying that there are absolutely no sentient creatures living here?" The NAV bot responded, "Negative, Doctor. None that live on land anyway." "What about in the water?" "Insufficient data." Eggman leaned back in his chair. The bolts creaked in stress. "Alright, bring us even closer."

"Doctor, meteorological data suggests that large scale lightning storms are currently in progress along the hemispheres. There is a Class 5 Tropical cyclone currently forming in the Southwestern hemisphere." Robotnik placed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. "Duly noted. Take us in."

The ship streamed into the atmosphere. The mysterious planet's atmosphere was as thick as pea soup. Friction formed around Robotnik's ship as it plunged into the air. Red-orange streaks snaked along the skin of the ship. "Heat shields holding at 79 per cent operational capacity, confirm." Another robot checked the systems. "Confirmed, roger."

A few more seconds later, they were in the atmosphere. Rain started to fall in buckets immediately. Steam formed as soon as the water droplets hit the superhot hull of the starship. Windshield wipers tried to wipe away the moisture but it was no small task. Eventually, they were cruising a few thousand feet above sea level.

Robotnik had never seen a sea so angry, so majestic. To a scientific mind such as his, it was a marvel of nature, destructive and mystifying at the same time. "Scan the area for anyplace we can put down." "That's a negative, sir. It would not be wise to leave the ship floating in the air. A stray bolt of lightning can take us down for good." Eggman snapped his gloved fingers. "Very well. Pressurize the ballasts and prepare for aquatic transition protocols if need be." "Aye sir. Pressurizing ballasts."

The ballasts would keep the ship afloat in the water should something happen. Six massive air tanks would be filled and compressed with air. That way, the ship would be able to stay afloat like an ancient submarine. "Sir, hang on a moment. Scanners are picking something up." Robotnik leaned forward. He had not anticipated something like this. "What is it?" "Sir, COMS is picking up a hailing frequency stemming from one hundred twenty four nautical miles due southeast of our position. "I thought you said there was nothing on this waterball." "Sir, our scanners didn't pick them up." Robotnik sighed. "Open up the channel."

The signal was slightly accented by white noise interference caused by the current lightning. "_Attention unidentified craft, this is Tipoca City landing pad A-7. Are you receiving this transmission?_" Robotnik cleared his throat. "Yes. This is uh…Doctor Julian Kintobor. I am a scientist. I miss-jumped on my way to uh…Geonosis for a scientific expedition. I humbly request that I can land and repair my vessel here?"

Static for a moment.

"_You have permission to land Doctor Kintobor. Prime Minister Ghav Nhus will meet you in the main atrium._" The pad worker said again. They had very elegant voices. Or was that the interference from the storm?

Tipoca City came up rather fast. It didn't pop up from the horizon but rather faded in from the fog. The city reminded Robotnik of mushrooms on Mobius. Only these mushrooms had flashing lights around them and their stems extended underwater. Lightning connected with the upper part of the city, illuminating it for a full second. "Magnificent." He muttered.

Landing lights had flashed on a single platform that was quite large. The ship was guided towards that spot. It slowly descended and touched down on the platform with a slight bounce.

It was raining cats and dogs outside. Raindrops were practically as large as water balloons. The Doctor insisted that he had an ornate umbrella retrieved for him. It was one in his image. The same type that was spray painted on the size of his ship. Up ahead, a small door opened and the Doctor was immediately assaulted by white light that made him squint as his retinas burned. A single figure blocked out some of the light. Robotnik's jaw dropped.

The alien was much taller than he was. It had almond shaped eyes and pearly skin that seemed to go. He wasn't sure if it was male or female. Then it spoke. "Greetings Doctor Kintobor. The Prime Minister will see you now. Follow me." It was definitely a 'she' since she had a soft flowing voice. She set off down the hall, and the doctor followed her slightly slipping because of his wet shoes.

The doctor cocked an eyebrow at the plain, white paneling. How simple. He could barely look at it without getting eye damage. This didn't seem to bother this Kaminoan at all. "Excuse me miss…?" "Jas Su" "Miss Jas Su, what is the purpose of these white walls?" Su took time answering that question. "I would suppose that it would be like what you Humans call 'art'." Eggman chuckled. "But its _white_!" Jas Su looked about at him. She had steel grey eyes. "Is it? I didn't notice." Robotnik was confused. "What do you see?" "Something vibrant, doctor. I'm not sure how to explain. Kaminoans have the ability to see in the ultraviolet spectrum. You may see white, but we see something different." Kintobor was surprised. "Interesting. Get this down" he said to one of his robots. Su chuckled. "This way, Doctor. You are about to see something not many Humans have had the pleasure."

The door in front of them opened and Robotnik's jaw nearly hit the floor. They were in a long, transparent hallway that was suspended inside the mushroom cap of the city. All around him were machines that were moving luminous blue tubes. "What is _THIS_?!" Robotnik said in a high, strained voice. "This is our cloning facilities." Robotnik did a triple take. "Cloning?! You clone beings?" "Yes, Doctor. We clone beings for specialized purposes. Originally it was to help us survive after the Great Flood. Over the years, some very rich agencies contracted us to help restore extinct species, provide specialized soldiers, among other things." A small, evil smile formed on Robotnik's face and his moustache seemed to curl. The two robots looked at each other nervously. "Is that so?" "Correct. We are at the Prime Minister's office now. I bid you a good day Doctor Kintobor." With that, Jas Su walked down the hall. Robotnik entered the room.

"Doctor Kintobor, is it?" another Kaminoan said. He sat in a swivel-style chair that was attached to the ceiling. "Yes, Prime Minister. I want to thank you for letting me dock here on your city." Prime Minister Nhus folded his fingers. "The pleasure was but mine, Doctor. Anything for a man of science." "Indeed." The Doctor said solemnly. "Doctor, during your short stay here on Kamino, I'd like to point out that we would do anything to make your stay here comfortable. The other thing is that after you depart, we would like you to keep this location secret. No unneeded publicity." Robotnik laughed. "Yes, I wouldn't want to give that away." Robotnik cleared his throat. "Prime Minister, I'd like to ask you a question." Nhus said with a straight face, "What would you like to know?" Eggman's glasses flashed. "It's on the subject of cloning."

Nhus' face went grim. Cloning. It was a well sought after passion. The ability to create an unlimited army of identical soldiers. Alike down to the last gene. Crimes could be committed, deaths staged, negative upon negative. There were some positives for cloning. Organs were needed for some patients with critical conditions. But the way this man had asked the question seemed wrong in so very many ways.

"What would you like to know about our most ancient art?" "Well…What would one have to do to _get_ a clone?" The Prime Minister frowned. _This is getting very bad indeed_. "Well Doctor, clones are expensive. Making a replicated being down to the last atom is no small task and there are expenses to cover." "How much?" "It depends on how many clones and the state of each. At least 100,000 Republic Credits." The Prime Minister said, his ire rising slightly. "Is there anything else I can give you?" Nhun's eyes narrowed. "Nothing I can think of." Then, Robotnik took his glasses off. "Well, that's where we have a problem."

Nhun started to get up. "I believe the repairs to your ship are complete, Doctor. You are free to leave." Robotnik laughed. "I don't think so. I believe I'll be staying a little longer." The Kaminoan Prime Minister flinched. "Doctor I strongly oppose this! Return to your ship at once or I shall call security." "No, you won't." He flicked his right hand and his guards brought up their weapons. Prime Minister Nhun was now standing at full height, which was close to eight foot five. "Doctor Kintobor! I am outraged that you would even consider an act like this!"

"I'm a mad doctor, Prime Minister! Doing dirty things to get ahead has always been my _thing_ if you will. Ever since I was a child I wanted to get ahead of the pack, make the greatest science project for the school fair. And I don't think here, at the very pinnacle of my discoveries, I will back down!"

Nhun scowled. "Will you shoot me, Doctor?" Eggman laughed. "No, I will not. I tell you what I will do though. If you refuse to do this job for me, I'll detonate my ship's nuclear fusion reactors and destroy this entire city and everything within a fifty mile radius. Clean off the face of the galaxy forever. Will you dare cross me after I stated that? Do you not have a wife and child to think about? Risking your honor over the most important discovery you have ever made?"

Prime Minister Nhun was shaking visibly. Kaminoans rarely showed emotions and this was one of those rare times. He seemed to b having a miniature seizure. After a few minutes he said, "I think you're bluffing, Doctor. Go ahead. Do it." Eggman's eyebrows rose slightly. "Well, well. It seems that you are more stubborn than I suspected. You are also very bold. Very well. I can ratify that. It's certainly your loss, Prime Minister."

Eggman extracted a walkie-talkie device from his coat pocket. Robotnik keyed in a few frequencies and said, "Engineering, this is the Doctor." "_Go ahead, doctor. What can we do?_" Eggman smiled at the helpless Prime Minister. "Overload the fusion reactor. Override code Charlie-Foxtrot-Niner-Fower-Alpha-Charlie." A few seconds of silence enveloped the office, only briefly interrupted by a flash of lightning. "_It is done, my lord. The Fusion cores will overload in approximately two minutes._"

"Two minutes? How does it feel to live for only two more measly minutes, Prime Minister? I'd look out the window if I wanted to see the 'Progress Bar' if you catch my drift!" Nhun looked out the window and indeed saw that Robotnik's ship was glowing a good deal. The engines started flaring. "_You're absolutely mad!_" The Kaminoan screeched. "Am I? Thirty seconds, Prime Minister. Choose quickly."

This Human was absolutely crazy! He was willing to destroy himself and all of Tipoca city just because he didn't get something he wanted? He was like youngling whose toy was taken away and he pouted about it. If he didn't act now, millions of innocent Kaminoans in Tipoca City would die, not to mention the millions more in the neighboring cities with women and children…

"Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven…" "Alright, that's enough! You win you insane creature! We'll do whatever you want!" "Eggbot, this is Big E. Cancel that barbeque, we've reached an agreement." He said with all the air of a radio host. At once, the starship cooled to its original color and shape.

After fifteen standard minutes of staring into space, the Prime Minister simply said, "What do you want us to do?" Eggman was happy to outline. "A simple thing really: I request a few special made clones made to these specification and purpose."

Doctor Robotnik spent about an hour explaining his plan to the Kaminoan whose steel grey eyes grew wider every moment he told of his plan. At the end, Robotnik stood and extended his arms as if presenting a film pitch. "So, what do you think?" "That's terrible, just _terrible_!" "Why thank you." "In any case, in order for your plan to carry out, you'll need these clones at their necessary age. About ten years in the vats should be enough." "TEN YEARS?!" Robotnik roared. "UNACCEPTABLE! ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!" He calmed down after a while.

"What if I gave you some cloning advice that could possible shorten the wait? Besides, I only want them with the minds of about ten year old children; easily influenced. Can you do that for me? Huh? Mr. Prime Minister?" Nhun exhaled explosively and bent his neck forward to Eggman, obviously defeated. "Do you have a sample of the donors? We need a reference of some sort. We can extract DNA from the tissue and make the clones from there. With your calculations and specifications of the cloning procedure, I can assume that these clones will be ready in two and a half standard years." Robotnik fumed. Nothing he could do. Two and a half was way better than ten.

"Very well, Prime Minister. We have a deal." "Do you have the samples?" "Yes, I do." The Doctor reached into an inner pocket and extracted a few small vials of blood, hair and skin samples. Prime Minister Nhun's expression was that of confusion. "You carry those around with you always?" Robotnik cocked an eyebrow and smiled. "Just in case." "Alright."

"I just want you to know Prime Minister, for the time being I will be staying here in Tipoca City. Nobody will know of what I have done here or who I really am." The Kaminoan said, "Just between us then, who _are_ you?" Eggman removed his glasses and stared at the Prime Minister. "My name _was_ Julian Kintobor. I _was_ a scientist. I am now Doctor Ivo Robotnik. I had many enemies where I came from, but now I'm sure I want to make some new friends."

It was during these two and a half years that Doctor Ivo Robotnik began planning his most elaborate scheme ever. There would be some loss of civilian life involved, but this would once and for all take care of the only ones in this galaxy who could stop him: the UNSC.


	9. Chapter 8: HK24

Chapter 8: HK-24

October 31st, 3235, 1450 hours

UNSC _Phoenix_ (DDG-626)

En route to Tatooine in Hyperspace

October 31st, Halloween. It was an important day to the men and women aboard the _Phoenix_. Halloween was made a paid holiday by the UNSC in 2407 (There was much joy). Usually, the crew of the destroyer would be given the day off with shore leave included, dress up as characters from their favorite video games, TV shows or whatever was influencing them at the time. The problem was that since the ship was effectively cut off from the universe they knew, they couldn't get costumes, booze, candy and such. So, they just got the day off.

Captain Vennettilli was busy making his rounds. Technically he wasn't ordered to by the Major but he felt that he would want to look at the ship considering the firefight she was in a few days back. Everything was mostly in order. The Navy boys had swabbed the decks clean the first hour she left that swampball of a planet. Chris and the others had taken four consecutive showers trying to clear the stink from their skins. And four consecutive showers later, the stench was still with him. He had passed Rouge earlier that morning. The moment he walked by, the bat had turned green and upchucked in the nearest trash chute.

"I hope this stuff doesn't stay in your skin." Sally had told him during the first shower. "Everything seems to be wilting when we walk by." Chris, unfazed simply scoffed, "Maybe its just Ryan's aftershave." The Corporal tossed his bar of soap at the Captain's head and the soldier deftly caught it and threw it back, smacking the stunned Marine in the forehead. Chris began to rub the strongest lotion the ship had in its inventory on his skin. "Here's hoping!"

In short: They still stunk.

Chris had worn cologne to try and cover the scent. He walked down the hall to where Perry had breached the decks. Chris uneasily walked past the sealed 60cm bulkheads protecting him from the cold, inhospitable environment of Hyperspace. Chris had read in a book here that spacing a man in Hyperspace would be much more deadly than spacing him into normal space. Chris did not like spacing, much feared death. What happened to the good old days of capital punishment? Lethal Injections, Firing Squad, the Chair, etc? Chris shook his head. Blowing people into space. What was the universe coming to?

The Captain was just about to finish his rounds when he walked by the only doorway to have pumpkins and ghosts taped on it. He curiously knocked twice and the door hissed open. Unsurprisingly the person who answered was Corporal Claire Poisson.

"Captain, what can I do for you?" She said staring at him. Chris recoiled at what she was wearing. The Captain had only seen something like this in the history vids: A Japanese Kimono. They were still worn by Japanese citizens in formal occasions but besides that, this type of garment was almost forgotten by history. "I was interested by the decorations. Nobody else on the ship had them." The Corporal smiled. "Well, I packed them with me ever since I was transferred on-board this tub. I like to plan ahead."

"I see you have a costume." "Yeah, I already had it with me also. It wasn't meant to be a costume though." Chris cocked his head. "It wasn't…?" But he looked past the Marine and saw what she was talking about.

In stark contrast to Chris' room, which was clean and devoid of all trash, like a good Marine should have, Corporal Poisson's room was an explosion of color. Almost every square inch was covered by clippings, scans and posters of anime and manga. "Holy shit…" He knew that this style of art was popular in the galaxy but this was taking it up a level. His mouth gaped as he scanned the room. A little red flag came up in his head.

"So, is it interesting?" Claire said bouncing on her heels. Chris clamped his jaw shut. "This is all strictly non-regulation Poisson. Under UNSC Starship Directive 224J, '_All shipboard bunks of all UNSC ships in the fleet must retain a strict measure of cleanliness. Under no circumstances should excessive decoration be placed anywhere within the bunk room_.' That means all of this stuff." He said waving his index finger around. Claire huffed. "Memorized that all from the book didn't you?"

Captain Vennettilli lowered his hand to his side and wondered _I _did_ didn't I? Am I getting-dare I say it- mature? Am I losing grip on the old childhood innocence and mischief?_ Of course he was. The Captain was 21 years old. He was slowly severing ties with his childhood moods. A few years back, even a few months back, Chris had been a calm, smooth officer. He allowed much more freedom than was permitted, or deserved.

He exhaled. "Look, I won't report you. I'll let it slide because I'm afraid you're going to bash me into the window with your mind if I piss you off." The Corporal laughed. "Fair enough. See you Captain." She closed the door with a hiss. Chris placed his cap on his head and continued his walk.

It was around Deck 8 (Hydroponics) that he nearly ran into a PFC. The young Mobian hedgehog with black quills saluted. "Sir!" he snapped sharply. The Captain returned the salute. "At ease, Private. What can I do for you, man?" The hedgehog stammered, "Sir, Petty Officer Prower requests that you meet him in the R&D lab. He says that it's urgent, sir." "Did he say what it was about, Private?" the hedgehog shook his head. "No sir. All he sais was to get down there as soon as you could sir." Chris nodded. "Alright, I'll go as soon as I can. Thanks, man." Chris patted the Marine on the shoulder and walked down the hall towards the elevator.

The Captain ran into Sergeant Johnson and Corporal Percy at an intersection. "Good God!" The Sergeant said as he jumped. "You scared me sir." He then regained his composure. "We were looking for you." "Why?" Chris said cocking his head. "Same reason the hedgehog was looking for you. Tails wants you to be in the lab in oh-five-right now hours. Says he made progress with a piece of salvage." "Wait, you mean that robot right? The one that was shut down in the jungle?" "Exact same, Cap." Johnson said.

They entered the elevator and punched in Deck 3. The elevator rose quickly and screeched to a stop as the meter rang _ding_. The door opened to an identical hallway that was on every deck. The trio walked down the hall past some windows. Their eyes gazed out into Hyperspace. The blue flames warping around them were attractive in a scientific sort of way. "Where's Sally, Bunnie, Rouge, the others?" "They're already there. We're just waiting for you."

They walked about fifty more feet and a door with '_R&D_' painted on it came up on the right. Johnson knocked on it three times. A voice came through the other side. "The lab is off limits right now! Authorized personnel only!" "It's Avery you maggot sons of bitches! I got the Captain here." "Right, hang on while I deactivate the code lock." A few seconds later, the door slid open. "After you _mon capitaine_." Ryan said smiling.

The lab was darker. Most of the lights were off but the few that were on were focused on the table in front of them. Most of his team was lined up behind what seemed to be an operating table retrieved from the ship's medlab. And on that table was the robot that _he_ had marked for salvage.

"Captain Vennettilli." Captain Perry said. The Captain was in informal command uniform, khaki buttoned shirt and dark navy blue pants. "Captain Perry sir." Chris said saluting. The Navy Captain returned the salute to the Marine. "What have we got here sir?" "You tell me, Vennettilli. You marked this robot for salvage, is that correct?" "Yes sir." "Well, the Pelicans brought it up after you disappeared inside the camp and loaded it in here. Prower was here for close to seven days trying to crack its codes. No dice so far."

Tails was investigating the innards of the robot that was on the table. He fumbled with a pair of tweezers. He had a medical mask over his face so he wouldn't inhale some gas he didn't want to. "Damn it!" He cursed as he scaled his finger on a hot device. Tails stepped away from the robot and took his mask off. The fox sucked on his tender finger for a second before reporting. "Robot's sealed up tight, Chris. Got some of the motor and gyroscopic subsystems operational but I think we need a bit longer on actually activating the processor unit." "Did anybody catch what he just said?" Sally asked the three Mandalorians who had accompanied them. They shrugged.

"All I know is that a company called Czerka Corporation made a bunch of units like these. Called them something like HK-24 or something." Kaiden said tousling his short brown hair in thought. The other Mandalorians grunted in agreement. Unlike Kaiden, they didn't remove their blue armor.

"What's the 'HK' stand for?" Bunnie asked leaning on the table, stroking the metal body. Kaiden cracked a small smile. "Hunter Killer." Bunnie retracted her finger quickly. "Is that _so_?" she said, her eyes growing wide. "How many units did Czerka make?" "Heh, who the hell knows? I bet there are millions of these damned things running around the galaxy." A spark danced over HK-24's body as Tails tried to access the Central Processor Unit. "Damn! Still no luck. Sally, I need to borrow NICOLE for a few seconds. "Yeah, sure thing." The princess said unhooking the computer from her holster. Tails grabbed the computer and opened it up. "NICOLE, activate." "_You could say please!_" The AI within remarked. "This isn't a joke, NICOLE. I need you out here."

"_OK, OK! Sheesh! Activating holographic interface._" NICOLE appeared instantly. "What is it, Miles?"

"NICOLE, I need you to synchronize with Bianca and give me some extra pushing power in here. "_If you're asking me to interact with that pompous inexperienced household AI, you're gravely mistaken, Petty Officer._" Bianca said over the intercom. Apparently she had been listening. "That was not a request Bianca. Synch up, _now_." Perry said with a bit of bite in his voice. "_Yes sir, establishing handshake protocols_."  
A second later, Bianca reported, "_Alright, I'm synched up. Establish a link to the 24 unit, Prower_." "Aye aye." Tails aligning the infrared scanner to the HK-24 unit's head. A small progress bar appeared on NICOLE's screen. "Uploading, stand by." A second or two later, the display pinged green. "Alright, we're in. It's pretty quiet in here." "_Don't do anything to compromise the unit's integrity, NICOLE. I…I don't want to die in here._" Bianca said.

"Re-_fucking­_-LAX, you over-budgeted, paranoid, computer program! I know what I'm doing. I stole your Republic algorithms-which by the way you stole from the Republic themselves-and improved upon them! I have access to Czerka Corporation's druid schematics database! Now, according to these specs, if we stimulate this part of the cerebral programming core-" "_We can reactivate the droid, correct?_" "Exactly." "_Very well. Administering low-level electronic shock in 5,4,3,2…_" The droid's body jostled in the electricity. Metal clanked on metal. Tails had to step back to really appreciate what was going on. "_I can't believe it. It worked!_" Bianca said with an air of amazement in her artificial voice. "Told ya so." Nicole said sticking out her holographic tongue. "Detecting increasing motor functions. It's trying to get up!" Claire couldn't resist this one, today of all days. "It…is…ALIVE!"

The Marines stood patient around the HK-24 unit as they waited for a sign of response. Five seconds passed and suddenly, the eyes flared bright orange. A voice came from the droid but it was incoherent. A few seconds later, the voice warbled in various languages and it produced a line of text in English:

"Surprised Statement: Oh my! Have I been reactivated? My chronological circuits estimate that I have been inert for approximately one standard year five standard months." He paused, "Diagnostic: Running system check on body frame. Everything seems to be in working order, except for something in my central processing unit." Tails hissed "Pull out! Now!" Bianca and NICOLE retracted from the robot and he closed the lid on the computer. "Proud Response: It seems I am in perfect operating parameters. How may I be of assistance to you, Master?"

The Marines paused. "It just called me 'Master'." Tails said, wide-eyed. "Surprised Statement: Why yes, Master. You are the one who found me, correct?" Tails shook his head. "He did." He said and pointed to the Captain. "Then I am confused as to where I am and what happened." The droid said and sat up. Some servos screeched as HK-24 stood up on the deck plates. "Observation: It does not appear that I am on the moon Dxun any more. Where did you take me?" He questioned Chris. The Marine stammered, "You're on the UNSC _Phoenix_, a vessel from the planet Earth." The droid gave what passed for a laugh. "Humored Response: Oh, very funny, Master. This must be a ruse." "I expected that. And don't call me 'Master'." "Query: How so, Master? And as for your second question Master, I can refrain from referring to you as 'Master' in the future if you wish, Master" "I give up." Chris said throwing his hands into the air in frustration.

"Droid, what is your function?" Sally clearly asked. HK-24 was happy to oblige. "Proud Answer: I am an HK Model 24 protocol droid, assigned as an aide for government and diplomatic officials." "But your first two letters stand for 'Hunter Killer' don't they? You're an assassination droid?" "Reassurance: Oh Mistress, that is such a derogatory remark. I am but a simple protocol droid…" HK-24 noticed the Mandalorians leaning up against the wall. He sprung into action and grabbed Johnson's pistol from his holster. "Hey, what the-" he started to protest. The droid aimed the pistol squarely at Kaiden's forehead. "Threat: Do not make any attempt to move, Mandalorian scum or I will place a shot between your ocular sensor devices. "HK-24, STOP!" Chris ordered. The droid was about to pull the trigger but heeded his new master's request. "Weary Resignation: Very well, Master. I was looking forward to terminating this particular individual." "He's with us, droid." Perry said sternly. "Apology: I am sorry. I did not realize that the Mandalorians had sided with the Republic." "Let's get one thing straight tin man, we're not the Republic and we're not fighting any war. We just want to get home."

"Confused Statement: I do not believe that I understand the current turn of events that is occurring here." Perry sighed. "This is fucking pointless. Prower, I want you to work with the droid, bring him up to speed. Captain, I want a word with you outside." "Aye, Captain." Vennettilli said and followed the Navy man out into the hallway.

"So sir, what did you want to talk about?" Perry leaned up against the window. "We _can't _keep taking on these new 'passengers', Captain. We have a mission to complete here. We need to get home! We've most likely been listed as dead!" "What does that have to do with anything, sir? Why does that affect the time we need to finish this mission in?" Perry's eyes flared. "Because I _said_ so, Captain Vennettilli. If you want to remain on this ship, I want you follow my orders without question! Are we clear on that?" Chris said icy cold, "Crystal, sir. Permission to speak sir?" "Granted, Captain." "Sir, what do you have waiting for you back home? Why are you so apprehensive to get back to Earth?"

Captain Alan Perry looked the Marine dead in the eye. "I've read your dossier, Captain Vennettilli. The 182nd usually produces some legendary figures and you're one of the latest. When you joined the Corps you had nothing to lose, correct?" "Sir, I feel 'joined' is the wrong word. If I remember correctly, I was _conscripted_." "Yes, yes, the Rainforest War and all that. Come with me."

The two walked down the length of the ship until they came up to Perry's personal quarters. The Marine had been inside a Navy CO's room before but this was amazing: Wood paneling covered the walls, amazing borders were on the ceiling and floors, magnificent oil canvasses, several depicting some of Monet's work hung on the walls, and a large picture of Earth was in hung across from Perry's bed. A large window was above his headdress.

"Captain. Your dossier says that you had parents, both biological, correct?" Chris shuddered. "Yes, sir." "And they were killed?" "Yes, sir." Chris was beset the image he had viewed so many times before: The burning building where his parents' plane had crashed. "It…said they died in a terrorist attack, right?" The captain didn't answer.

"You did have nothing to lose. Me on the other hand…" Perry handed Chris a picture. Old tech, still photography, non-holographic. Didn't see many of those these days. In the picture, Perry sat on a hill along with a woman with gingery blond hair. Chris could only assume that this was his wife. She was stunning. "Her name's Lorraine." Perry said in a whisper. "Last time I saw here was just before we disappeared. She was coming back on one of the shuttles and I got to say hi to her. I told her I just had a quick jaunt and then I'd get some leave. Heh, look where that got us." "She's beautiful, sir." Perry uncapped a bottle of bourbon. "Don't get any ideas kid. She's mine." He laughed slightly and took a sip from the bottle. The Navy man sighed appreciatively. "That's the good stuff." He wiped his mouth on his arm. "You got one advantage over me, Captain." Chris stared up at the commander of the _Phoenix_. "What?" "You have someone to go to on this ship. That's the greatest gift in the world when somebody cares about you. Don't let that get away from you, Captain. Now…" he placed the bottle on a shelf. "What do we do about HK-24? He's with us now. Do you want him?" "Me?" "Yes you. Haven't you heard of finders keepers?"

"Sir, I don't want the robot." "Well somebody has to take him." Chris thought about it. "Fine. I'll take him, but I'm not happy about it. That robot scares me."

HK-24 released the AIE-486H from his metallic fingers, the barrels smoking as the droid test-fired the weapon. "Evaluation: This weapon is now operating at top efficiency, Corporal. It would give my processor pleasure to see you use it to terminate organics!" Ryan took his gun back. The look on his face was equivalent to seeing a saint in person. "Thanks…" He said.

"Recitation: If I understand this correctly Miles Prower, you need assistance on retrieving the lost pieces of this 'map' as you say?" "_Map is the best term we have for the thing right now. All we know is that the Forerunners created this Emerald as a gateway between universes._" NICOLE said. "Observation: This is the same type of jewel you used to arrive here?" "Yeah, we think so." Ryan said. "Truth be told, we have no idea what this thing looks like other than the reference of other Emeralds we found."

HK-24 nodded his metal head. "Agreement: Yes I can see that you would require the assistance of a unit such as me in a scenario like this." "What do you mean?" Bunnie asked, one ear cocked in curiosity. "Well, if I'm processing this information correctly, these emeralds have a notoriously high street value. If it is as powerful as you make it out to be and if a 'treasure map' has been placed in a Dark Lord of the Sith's tomb, I highly doubt that someone will let you take it without a fight. That's where I come in. I believe you humans regard me as a 'tank'."

Ryan nodded in agreement. Sally wasn't convinced. "OK, droid. What makes you such an intimidating figure?" HK-24 spoke, "Request: Princess, you try punching me?" Sally took off her cap and tossed it to one side. "OK, but I don't think I'm going to make a dent." "Explanation: The purpose of the exercise is not to _harm_ me, Mobain."

Sally shrugged a launched a closed-fist strike. Before she even raised her hand she thought of how it might be a bad idea to throw a closed-fist at solid metal. Before it was halfway across the distance between them, HK-24 grabbed her wrist, twisted it around, put the other hand around her waist and pulled her close to his metallic body.

"What…the…HELL?!" She said in between surprised gasps. She could feel the cold arms push down into her fur and pressing down on her stomach. The others drew their weapons and Bunnie morphed her arm into a plasma cannon. "Freeze!" Johnson yelled.

"Reassuring Statement: Do not be alarmed, Sergeant. I am not going to harm Miss Acorn." "Bull_SHIT_! Sally said gasping. "I am telling the truth, Princess." At that, he retracted his arms. "Humorous Addendum: It's also safe to point out that I am not programmed to lie either!" Sally rubbed her abdomen gingerly. "That could be a lie." "Praise: Very astute. Yes I could be lying, but I let you go didn't I? You'll have to take my word for it that I can truly help you here." "Well he does have a point." Johnson said shrugging." "What point, Sarge? He nearly tore Sally-girl apart!" Bunnie said. "He's tough. _Nearly_ as strong as the Marines. We can use a tank like him."

"Hopeful Query: So does that mean I can accompany you?" Ryan ran up to Johnson. "Can we keep him, Sarge? I'll wash him, and take care of him and everything!" "Well, alright we'll keep him. If he sets one _bolt_ out of line, I'm personally throwing him out the airlock." HK-24 said, "Statement: You're willing to threaten to destroy me? Ooh, I think I like you, Sergeant." Johnson nearly blushed and took a drag on the cigar. "Please don't thank me I had a few hundred years of practice."

The door slid open and Captains Perry and Vennettilli and a new figure walked through. They all recognized him: Captain Tyrell Banks, Commanding Officer of the 8th Orbital Drop Shock Troopers Regiment on the ship. They were nicknamed "Death Dealers". Everyone could see the Ace of Spades card with a black skull on Banks' shoulder. Banks was momentarily surprised by HK-24 standing a good seven feet in height, but banished it from his face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching Tatooine now." Perry explained. "I just need to say a few words to you before we disengage the Hyperdrive." He paused to look around at his men. "You did a damn fine job back on Dxun. I couldn't have planned it better. We lost a few good kids back on that swampball and my condolences go to them and their families if we get back home to tell them. I want to give the people of the 182nd, 5th Battalion a little rest aboard this ship. Someone else is going to be looking for that Emerald now." The group's jaws dropped. "_WHAT_?" they all said in unison, even Vennettilli who had no conversation on this topic before.

"Yes that's right. We're sending Captain Banks' men down to the planet looking for the Emerald. Consider it a break." Banks smiled in self satisfaction. This was his time to shine. "Sir, I could not ask for a higher honor." He said in his deep voice. "Good man, Tyrell. Now," He said shifting his attention to the surprised Marines. "There's only one major settlement on the entire planet called Anchorhead. Czerka Corporation runs the entire operation down there but I don't know if they'll be happy seeing one of their droids down there."

"Statement: I believe Czerka Corporation will be pleased to see one of their products in sight. It might show what enthusiasm a buyer has for them." "Regardless 24, you're staying aboard the ship. Is that understood?" "Yes, Captain. That is understood. I will remain here on the ship."

"Captain Tyrell, I want you and your men to assemble on the next Pelican out. Read the briefing that Bianca has prepared for you. Bring weapons also. We don't know what you'll find down there." "Yes sir. I'll move my men out right away. Catch you later, Chris. We can't all have fun." Banks turned on his heel and walked down the hall with a drifting laughter. "I hate that bastard." Chris said to Perry. "I know. I do too, but he is the best ODST Commander in the solar system. Sorry, Vennettilli. You're on deck for the operation. Should Tyrell fail in any way, your team will go in." "Respectfully Captain, I find that highly unlikely considering Banks' record." Perry rubbed his neck. 'Well, I don't know what to tell you, Captain. You're staying on this ship and that's final. Any Questions?" "No, sir." "Very good. What about all of you?" Nobody spoke. HK-24 sounded, "Answer: Negative." "Good. Alright Captain. Get some rest before we arrive at Tatooine." "Yes sir." Perry walked out of the lab and the door shut.

Ryan tossed a ruler across the lab. It collided with a stack of paper and they tumbled onto the floor. "Nice Ryan." Tails said rolling his eyes. "It's gonna take me hours to clean that up." "I can't believe that we weren't picked. It's _always _us!" Ryan said. Sally crossed her arms. "Maybe that's why Perry wanted someone different." "But what does Banks have what we don't have?!" Johnson said, "He's black." And laughed in his cigar smoke.

"Shut up, Sarge." Chris ordered. "Conjecture: I believe that Captain Banks has much more combat experience than you, Master. That might explain the Captain's choice of him over any of you, with the possible exception of Sergeant Johnson." ("Thank you!" He said with an uplifting voice.)

"Perry told me himself that I had an impressive dossier!" "Interruption: Master, I urge you to stop this madness. Captain Perry didn't pick you. As a human once said to his drunken friend I once saw in a cantina, "Get over it." "Are you giving me lip, robot?" "Negative, Master. I have no lips." "Well, he has a sense of humor." Bunnie said with a laugh. "I'm going to bed." Chris said angry as hell.

"I'm worried about the Captain." Johnson said. "He'll be fine. Sally said exhaling and rubbing her hair. "He's just a little pissed he's not going on another adventure." "Suggestion: I have a theory to make him happier." "Lay it on us. A surprise party?" Sally said glumly. "Answer: shoot an organism many times and watch if it dies in a humorous way, and see if the blood spatters form a particular image, like a cloud or a fish!" Sally facepalmed herself. "No, that's the way to make Ryan happy."

The ship appeared out of nowhere into normal space. The Briggs twins guided the ship as she exited Hyperspace. "Normalspace transition complete. Engine are reporting five by five." Perry sat in his chair with a sigh. "Good. Where are we?" Calvin Briggs "According to these astrological maps, we are 5 million kilometers from the planet Tatooine, sir."

The forward viewport showed binary stars, one orange, the other yellow. Blotting out the two stars slightly was a planet. "That's Tatooine?" Gerarg Briggs responded, "Affirmative sir. That's Tatooine. Uploading specifications now." A flow of data appeared on Perry's personal display. The planet Tatooine was an orange ball of rock in the night. Also, two other gas giants Ohann and Adirana were behind them. Tatooine boasted three moons named Ghomrassen, Guermessa, and Chenini. Tatooine was an eyesore at first glance. The planet boasted ore that was of extremely bad quality that corroded easily. Maybe that's why the planet was abandoned plenty of times and resettled, fool's ore."

"Sir, we'll be arriving in the planet's orbit in 20 minutes. Sensors aren't picking up any heavy radio traffic. We are practically invisible." "Excellent. Tell Captain Tyrell that his dropship can leave as soon as we get in range."

The Marines looked out of the hallway window. "That's Tatooine? I'm glad we don't have to go. I'd get a hell of a sunburn." Rouge said. "Man, I can't believe that they have to look for a map in _that_!" Sally said gesturing to the wide expanse of desert. "It'd take months, maybe even years!" HK-24 said, "Reassuring Statement: Mistress, it would be easier if they ask the correct people." Tails turned around. "The correct people?"

"Yes, Master Prower. The Tatooine Dune Sea has numerous tribes of indigenous natives called 'Sand People'. They have been around since Tatooine was turned into a desert." "Can they speak English?" Tails asked, his tails waving in excitement. "Answer: I do not know, Master. They are archaic in nature and scavengers. The worst thing that will happen is that Captain Banks and his men will be brutally killed in accordance to their tribal rituals. They strike anywhere outside the walls of Anchorhead in the Dune Sea." The Marines looked at each other. "Brutally killed?" Rouge asked chewing on her nails. "Recitation: Yes, brutally killed. Have your moisture insides blocked your aural sensor lobes?"

They were staring out the window following the tiny Pelican as it became a tiny dot in the distance swallowed up by Tatooine. "God help you all." Sally said in a tiny voice. Johnson flicked the cigar stub away to add a period to her sentence. 


	10. Chapter 9: Tatooine

Chapter 9: Tatooine

November 1st, 3235, 0922 hours

UNSC _Phoenix_ (DDG-626)

In orbit over Tatooine, Tatoo system

"It's been fifteen hours. Where the hell are they, Lieutenant?" Captain Perry said to Lieutenant Gerard Briggs as he tapped his fingers on his chair. "Unsure, sir. I've tried pinging the dropship for the last thirty minutes but nothing's coming up. It's a possibility that there's a sandstorm going on around here." Perry shook his head in weariness "I don't believe in possibilities. I want cold hard facts." He stared at the orb of Tatooine below them, the twin suns glistening in the distance.

"Where's Captain Vennettilli right now?" "Wait one sir. According to cameras, he was spotted going into his bunk room just twenty minutes before Banks' team left the ship. He's probably sleeping." Perry said with a small smile, "Wake him up. He's about to have his wish granted."

The Navy man looked out the window. Two Longswords were doing a reconnaissance run of the surrounding vector searching for anything that could cause a disturbance for the crew. His gaze then shifted to the immense Dune Sea covering the majority of the planet with a white icy region covering the northern magnetic pole. Could they really find the map on this rock? Could they find the next piece of the puzzle? He hoped so, and he hoped it wouldn't take long.

The intercom beeped. Captain Vennettilli made it a personal rule that if nobody got it by the third ring, he would. He waited for three durations of the device screeching its high noise. One, two, three. _Screw it_. Chris groaned as he slid out of bed and opened the shutters on his window. Tatooine blotted out the view of the stars and small wisps of clouds provided relief to those few lucky beings from the sun.

Chris tapped the intercom 'receive' button. "Yes?" He said rubbing his eyes. "Captain Vennettilli, Lieutenant Briggs. Captain Perry wants to see you right now. Report to the bridge immediately." "OK. I'll be right there." "Understood. Bridge out." Chris snapped the intercom off and looked at the clock. He had been asleep for nearly 15 hours. Was he really that tired? Maybe it was just battle fatigue. Regardless, he had new orders. He slipped into leisure uniform and strode out into the hall.

Three of the guys were outside. Johnson, Sally and Ryan were leaning against the wall. "Hey, good morning Sleeping Beauty." Johnson said. "What's up Chris, you slept like a baby." Sally said with a chuckle. "I don't think you've ever slept that quietly since you were first on Mobius." "We have new orders." At this, the group stood rigid. "New orders?" Sally asked. "Yeah. Captain Perry wants me to report to the bridge for briefing. I don't know but I think Banks' mission isn't going to good." Ryan actually smiled. "Keep the team ready in case we need to move out. What's for breakfast?" Sally responded, "Ham and Cheese omelets." "Good, make sure I get one of those, I'm starving." They reached the elevator. "I'll come back and tell you the orders. It's getting to damn boring on this ship. See you later." He said stepping into the elevator and shutting the doors.

The car slid up to the command deck and opened. Chris stepped forward and saluted. "Sir, Captain Christopher Vennettilli reporting for duty, sir." Perry saluted back. "At ease Captain. Have a nice nap?" Chris shrugged with a smile. "Well, I feel great." Perry's face went straight. "Good, because you're gonna want to be totally attentive through this."

The Navy Captain explained the situation to the Marine. Captain Banks' pelican dropped them off just a few miles away from Anchorhead in the Dune Sea. Tyrell had broadcast his status for five straight hours but he remained silent since. On several occasions they had tried to reestablish contact with the ODSTs but so far, no good.

"So here's the job, Captain: We need you and your team to initiate a search and rescue operation in an attempt to find Captain Banks and his team." A hologram of Bianca appeared over the TAC table. "We already know the location of Banks' pelican, Omega 321. A holographic representation of the Dune Sea appeared on the TAC map's surface in topographical form where dips and rises in the map represented mountains or valleys. A small red dot the blinked represented the Pelican. "We don't know where they are by now, so there will be a little detective work involved." Bianca said. "Christ." Chris breathed.

"There is something we think you'll be happy to hear." The Captain said. "What's that?" "A small group of locals may have seen the Pelican come from the sky and didn't dock within the city. Technically that's a violation of rules on Tatooine. You can ask about the whereabouts of Tyrell and his men, and clear up the whole docking problem. Killing two birds with one stone. That's all, Captain. You're dismissed." Vennettilli saluted and turned on his heel. The Marine walked into the elevator and the doors slid shut.

"Why do they call it 'Chef's Special'? I have absolutely no idea what that stuff is." Sally said sticking her fork into the orange-gray material. Her tongue fell out of her mouth in disgust. Johnson took a sip of his coffee. "Heh, they've been asking that question for hundreds of years. I'm pretty sure I found a finger in there once." Sally covered her mouth. "Sarge, that's disgusting!" Avery, Ryan, and Tails shared a quick laugh. "You're all infants." The princess said with a chiding expression on her face. "Yes we may, but we love it." The door opened and they turned to see who entered the mess hall.

The Captain walked through the threshold with HK-24 in tow. The other Marines and Navy personnel froze in their meals. One unfortunate crewman had a cup of coffee halfway to his face. The hot liquid spilt on his crotch. Nobody had seen HK-24 activated before.

Chris found his friends. "Hey Captain." Johnson said. "Sit with us?" the Captain's stomach grumbled. "Yeah I'm starving." Vennettilli selected an omelet from the food selector and it slid out in minutes on a plate. The Captain licked his lips and took the tray. He returned to the table and sat down. "So, what orders do we have?" Johnson said leaning on his elbows. The Captain gave him the 'one minute' sign with his finger as he shoveled the omelet into his mouth. He sighed then continued.

"Banks and his men have gone AWOL. Perry wants us to head down to Anchorhead and look around for them." "Beautiful." Sally said leaning back hooking her hands behind her head. "It's like looking for lost dogs." Ryan said, "Yeah, but only these dogs are in a desert ten thousand miles long."

"They can't be that far. It's only been 15 hours." Sally said glancing at the watch on her wrist. "Well, what if they had a vehicle or something? A Warthog or a Cobra could cover a huge distance." Ryan said thinking. Chris had finished his meal. "We'll have more than enough time to think about those variables as soon as were on the surface. Marines, move out!" They all rose. Sally dropped her plate down the trash chute and said, "I'm _never_ choosing that again. Hit me if I try to." Ryan scoffed and said in a low voice, "My pleasure."

"Query: Master? Have you finished with your meal?" Chris nodded and tugged on his cap brim. "Yes, 24 I have. Come on, we need to get the rest of the squad together." "Statement: Yes, Master. Will I be coming with you?" "I won't risk it, 24. You're an invaluable asset. I don't want you damaged." "_Actually Chris, 24 has lots of advanced protocol functions_." NICOLE whispered in his ear. "Yeah, like what?" "_For starters, he has an extensive language protocol system. He can speak in 5,500 languages not including dialects including Jawese, and the Sand People dialect that is native to Tatooine you know._" "Agreement: Master this AI, NICOLE has a point. I can facilitate communications with the Sand People if need be. It is always a handy protocol to have."

The Captain pondered. HK-24 could be useful in combat. If the droid had been on Dxun for that long and had been in a huge fight, he would certainly be a ferocious fighter. And the translations the droid could do for them could be perfect in case the Sand People _did_ capture Banks and his team. "Alright. 24 comes with us. Kaiden and the Mandalorians should stay on the _Phoenix_. I don't think the citizens will be happy to see them waltzing around." Johnson nodded. "Yes sir. I'll let them know."

There was a pelican down. The pilots must have reported in if they simply touched down or had engine problems. For the full 15 hours neither of the pilots had reported in. They were going no need a heavy lifter. A D96H-CCV Albatross dropship was the weapon of choice. The Albatross had always been the preferred vehicle to be used for salvage runs and transporting vehicles much more than a Pelican. These heavy lifters could hold 2 Scorpion tanks in her massive hold. She wasn't the largest of her kind either. The Falcon dropship was the largest of the dropships the UNSC had, but none were stashed aboard the _Phoenix_.

The Marines gathered in Albatross '15's small troop bay which was located right next to the vehicle bay. Five Marines, Chris, Ryan, Sally, Johnson and Rouge were seated in the jumpseats. HK-24 insisted on standing. "Explanation: My magnetic soles will prevent me from being jostled in the turbulence." He explained. The Captain shrugged. "Alright." The pilots announced that they were ready to launch.

The air marshals directed the heavy dropship out of the bay into space. The Marines were briefly weightless until the engines activated. Then they were flung to their right into the person or bulkhead next to them. The Albatross entered Tatooine's atmosphere at high speed. The less than aerodynamic shape of the Albatross hit the air with the equivalent principle of forcing a Frisbee underwater. The deceleration forced the Marines to their left into the person sitting next to them or bulkhead. All this time, HK-24 barely moved at all. "I think I preferred the Pelicans." Sally said. "Why can't I fly, Chris?" "We need you for the groundside operations. If we had a choice, I would gladly hand it over to you. You're a damn better flier than these rocket-scientists." "I heard that!" The pilot called from the cockpit. "Yeah we have feelings to you know." The copilot added.

The Albatross adjusted her approach over the desert. The jets belched as they evened the descent. Lower and lower they drifted until they saw the Pelican. Well…what was left of anyway. The dropship had carved a 500 foot gash into the sand. Smoke was still coming up in gouts. "Sir, local COMs are pinging us to land in the spaceport." The pilot said. "They're kind of insistent on it, sir." Chris knew what '_insistent_' meant. "OK, take us into the city."

The Albatross banked into Anchorhead. The city was a series of buildings jutting into the sky. Small speeders were streaking over the city. For a backwater mining colony, it was actually pretty busy. The heavy dropship set down inside an empty docking bay and opened the bay doors. A wave of heat pressed into the Marines. Rouge complained, "I hate this place already." "Shut up, _Marine_." Sally said and Rouge huffed with anger.

Inside the bay was an M12 LRV Warthog. The plan was to drive the vehicle around and search for Banks. This was a tiny snag, landing inside a city.

Standing in front of the dropship was a man dressed in orange and black. "Welcome to Tatooine!" He said airily. The Marines groaned. A greeter. "This is the esteemed office of the Tatooine branch of Czerka Corporation! Are you miners?" Then he saw the weapons and the chaingun mounted on the Warthog. "Oh…not miners then. Are you military?" Sally nodded. "Yes we are. We're searching for a ship that was shot down approximately 15 hours ago." The Czerka greeter shrugged. "I wouldn't know anything about that. I'm assigned to the spaceport. I think you should report to the Czerka offices further into the colony." Chris nodded. "OK. We'll do that. Question: How wide are the city streets?" "Uh approximately ten meters. Why?" "Perfect. Sally, unload the Warthog. Try not to crash into anything this time." The Mobian shrugged. "You're never going to let me forget that aren't you? I _got_ us onto that on-ramp, didn't I?" "Yeah but at the near-risk of losing my life."

Sally climbed into the cab of the Warthog. She slipped into the driver seat with practiced ease and she flipped the engine on. The beast started belching clouds of Hydrogen vapor. "That's my girl." She said noticing the engine temperature. "OK, these streets are gonna be crowded. I need somebody to help clear the way." She called. Chris and Johnson agreed to this while Rouge and Ryan climbed into the passenger and turret respectively.

"Open the door." Chris ordered the greeter. The Czerka employee nodded and keyed in the code. The semicircle shaped door opened into the city. Sally eased the Warthog ahead while Johnson and Vennettilli helped clear a path.

It was a slow and arduous journey. Of course nobody had seen a warthog or five armed Marines in sand-colored clothing and weapons. Sally honked the horn and sent four tiny robed creatures screeching out of the way. "Statement: That is highly amusing, Mistress. You sure make quick work of those jawas." "I just don't wanna make them street pizza 24." "Ah, the human pastry, an accurate term to crushing an organic under your tires." Rouge grimaced. "Please 24, I think we're supposed to be on _vacation_." Ryan looked at the assassin droid. "Go on, I'm listening."

The Czerka office was ornate, and it was easily recognizable, even though none of the Marines could speak Aurebesh. "Let's go, Marines. Sally, Ryan keep the engine running and the civvies distant. Rouge comes in with us. We need to give the girl a break. "Thanks, hon." Rouge said disembarking. "Good riddance." Sally said under her breath.

The Czerka office was cool with a large fan circling overhead. A human woman was behind the counter with a green-skinned alien with two antennas poking out of his head. "Greetings and welcome to the Czerka Tatooine outpost. I see that you are not miners though. What can we do for you? I see you have a Czerka Corporation HK-24 protocol droid with you. They are such good servants they are. "Proud Response: Thank you. It is an honor to serve my Masters under the banner of the Czerka Corporation."

"We need answers." Chris said leaning on the desk. "Fifteen hours ago, a ship was sent down to this planet and was destroyed. We don't know if any survivors are around. Do you know anything about it?" The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry. I have heard of the ship being shot down." "Did Czerka do it?" Johnson asked intently lighting up a cigar. "No. We don't have any Anti-Air emplacements on this planet, just sandcrawlers, moisture vaporators, and a few landspeeders. It's the Sand People you want to look for.

"The Sand People?" Rouge asked. "You mean those nomads that brutally kill people?" "The exact same." The woman said calling up a hologram. The figure that stood in mid-air was covered from head to toe in sun-bleached robes, and his face was covered by a mask with tubes where the eyes would be. A long, stuck-like weapon kind of like an Allan wrench was in its hands with sharp bits coming out here and there.

"The Sand People make it a habit of slaughtering our miners and stealing our equipment, then giving it to Jawas for them to rip apart and use for their own means." "Do you know where we can find some of these Sand People?" The alien laughed and spoke in English. "You don't want to find them, believe me. You seem strangely interested over this. OK, there's an enclave of Sand People roughly a couple dozen kilometers from Anchorhead in the mountains. The Sand People usually keep to themselves. Usually of course."

The Captain nodded his head. "Do you have a map?" the Czerka woman nodded. "Yes we carry maps of the Dune Sea. They're much easier to handle since holographic maps get jammed and damaged by sandstorms. You just might want to hold on to them in case they get blown away." She said with a small chuckle. She retrieved a scroll from under the counter. "The map costs about ten credits." There was the one snag: A money problem.

The Captain looked at his men in concern. None of them had a single credit on them. Maybe they had a few hundred dollars but nothing these people would accept in a million years. Oh well, back to the "barterin' days" as some of the men called it.

"Listen, we don't have any credits on us right now. Can we propose a trade?" The woman's hand flew to her pointy jaw. "Hmm. I find it slightly odd that you don't have any credits yet you are well armed and armored. You also seem to have a vehicle out front, and you tell me you _don't have any credits_?" Chris shrugged. "We're not from around here. We have nothing you would accept." He reached into his pocket and drew out a 20 dollar bill. The woman nodded. "You're right. We'll see about that trade. Bring me something that would be worth some money. I'll even throw in some change." The Marines nodded. "Right. I think we know someone hat might be able to help us with that.

Ryan sat up against the turret of the Warthog. "OK, OK, new one: I spy with my little eye something that is sandy." Sally bashed her head off the steering wheel sounding the horn for a second. "Is it sand, Ryan?" Corporal Percy sighed. "Yeah you're right. I think we need to play a new game. "Well said, Einstein." The Mobain princess said gripping the wheel tightly. "I hate sand." She said to herself. The sight of the Czerka office door opening was a breath of fresh air to this bleak colony.

"Oh Chris! You're back!" Sally said with the air of a soap opera actress. "Are we leaving this place yet?" A few passersby scowled at them. The planet might not have been very high in tourist brochures, but it _was _home. "Not yet. We can get a map to this place but it's gonna cost us ten credits. We need something to trade in. Ryan, come here."

The corporal jumped off the Warthog and came up to Vennettilli. "Yes, Captain?" "Let me see your bag." "OK, but it hasn't been fed for a week." Chris sniggered in compliance to Ryan's joke about his bag. The Marine stuck his hand into the bowels of the duffel bag to try and grab something of value. He felt the tinkling of beer bottles and pulled one out. "So you _were_ drunk that one time two weeks ago!" Ryan turned red. "Hey come on, the value thing." He urged. Chris arched an eyebrow and looked even deeper. He felt his hands close around a weapon. He pulled it out and inspected it. Ah, jackpot.

It was a Doran Industries X-1 Annihilator, an experimental Chaos Energy weapon. The laser pulled in Chaos Energy from a synthetic sliver of a Chaos Emerald and fired it. Very deadly, _very_ destructive. It packed a powerful wallop and God help you if you were on the receiving end of the blast. Your atoms would be blasted outward at the speed of light. You wouldn't even have time to _die_. "This oughta be worth a few shekels if you know what I mean." "You do _realize_ what that thing can do, right?" Sally said nervously. "Yes I do, but it's the only thing these people will accept since it doesn't use bullets that run out!" He turned back to the Czerka office and stepped inside the cool room.

"Here. Would this be enough to get something?" Chris said laying the weapon on the table. At once, both employees' eyes widened. Such a weapon had not been seen before. "Oh my." The Czerka woman said. "What _is_ it?" "Uh, it's a directed energy weapon from our part of space. It uses a crystal to fire a very destructive energy beam. AH, AH, AH! Don't fire!" he said as the green-skinned alien picked it up. "Why not?" he asked as he flipped the safety up and down. "Because you'll blow a hole in the wall so wide, you could drive a tank through it." The alien ceased his flipping. "So ah… Lourva, what do you think you can appraise this for?" Chris, Johnson and Rouge crossed their fingers. Lourva looked the gun over one more time. "It looks archaic, but in reasonably good condition. I can take your word for it that it's quite powerful. I think 1000 credits would be adequate?" Chris agreed, even though he had no idea how credits translated into dollars. "Yes quite. Can we take the ten out of the map?" "Yes we can. Good luck finding your men out there." "Thank you Lourva." The woman nodded. "Czerka Corporation wishes you a good day." Johnson winked at her before turning out.

Sally was still in the driver seat. "So, are we good?" she asked. "Yeah. We got this map here of the Dune Sea; can't understand a word of it. Anyone got a pen?" Ryan nodded and fished one out of his bag. "NICOLE?" "_Here, Cap._" "I need you to help translate." "_Roger that. I just need to be in holographic form to assess the situation._" Sally plucked NICOLE out and placed her on the dash. The anthropomorphic lynx popped out of the projector. "Is it hot out there or what?" She shut up after seeing the stern faces of the Marines. "OK tough crowd. Where's this map?" Chris placed the map on the dashboard. NICOLE's hologram leaned forward. "OK, that there is Anchorhead, the white square. The immediate area next to it is the Central Dune Sea, to the northeast, the Eastern Dune Sea. Further North: Jagged Claw Mountains." The mountains were easily visible from Anchorhead. The Mobian computer program kept on naming off landmarks and the human kept on jutting them on the map. "OK, let's move out."

They all piled into the Warthog. Chris was in the passenger seat while Rouge, Johnson and 24 took refuge in the back next to the chaingun. Sally drove the hog through Anchorhead occasionally beeping the horn to get pedestrians to move out of the way. She occasionally shouted an explicative to those stubborn to move. The last obstacle in the way was the gate guard who stood at the entrance to the city. "Forget it! You're not getting out without a hunting license: Safety rules." HK-24 said,"Suggestion: Master, I think that the best course of action is to break this man's legs and let him get scaled by the sand. The pain will serve him not to impede our progress."

Sally jumped out. "I was just about to suggest that, 24." She stepped close to the man. "Listen, pal: I am pissed beyond all belief. We have men lost in that desert, we're millions maybe billions of light-years from home, my hair is getting frizzy beyond all belief, DO NOT FUCK WITH ME!" She drew her .357 and pointed it in the gateguard's general direction. The man nearly fainted as he stared at this 5 foot tall furry woman pointing a gun at him. He opened the gate and watched them drive away. Then he fainted.

"You always did have a way with words, babe." Chris said sliding a pair of aviator sunglasses on his face. Sally smiled widely as if she had never intimidated that unfortunate man. "Thanks!" she said. "So now we're out here, where do we go?" Johnson asked. "Statement: The downed dropship of course, Sergeant." "_24's right. That would be the first place to look. Perhaps we could access the black box as well; get some insight on what happened here._" NICOLE said. Sally shifted the Warthog into high gear skipping over a few sand dunes. The Pelican grew closer and closer. The group could see that it was on fire pretty badly. The jeep skidded to a stop throwing sand into the air. Ryan and Johnson disembarked taking a fire extinguisher buried under the floor pads. The sprayed the burning dropship until the flames went out. "Well, hope we have no more blazes; this thing's empty." The Sergeant said tossing the empty extinguisher into the Warthog.

The Marines advanced to the dropship. 'MARINES' was still visible on the landing studs. The Captain went first into the troop bay. Rouge brought up the rear. She gasped and gagged when she saw bits of human flesh and bone lying on the seat. "Calm down, Rouge." He said with surprising affection. The cockpit was open. Chris turned the seat around and saw what was left of the pilots. The crash had torn their ribcages open and their skins were burned by the fire. Rouge ran screaming out of the dropship back into the Warthog covering her head with her wings and arms. Sally shook her head.

"Everyone that's on the ship is dead. All of Banks' men must have gotten out alive." "Cap, tracks." Ryan said pointing into the sand. They were barely visible but there were vehicle tracks. They were deep too. They must have had a Cobra Fighting Vehicle with them. Two 6.8mm gauss cannons supplied most of the weight. "They go right up to Jagged Claw Mountain." The captain noted. "That's about a hundred kilometers." Sally quickly calculated. "Observation: If it is merely a hundred kilometers how could they not report in after such time?" Chris sighed. "Either they are captured by the Sand People, or they're dead." Johnson scoffed. "Those are great possibilities."

"Everyone into the Hog; we're going on a little road trip." Chris said. Ryan couldn't help saying "Road trip! Road Trip!"

The drive took them a lot longer than they suspected. The suns were beating down on them like someone had put a heat lamp right next to them and left it on all day. Rouge felt her lips. "Oh no! I'm going all choppy!" She felt around inside her duffel bag for some chapstick. "Yeah seriously Chris I have to agree with Rouge." Sally said looking over to him. "The thermometer says that it's…whoa! 112 degrees Fahrenheit!" "Statement: I feel no pain, Master, but I should point out that a human cannot withstand more than 132 degrees of heat." "Just stop talking right now, please!" "Obedient Answer: Yes Master, of course Master."

They had finally reached the mountains three and a half hours after they left Anchorhead. It was the best feeling in the world when they had entered the shade. "OH! Thank you Jesus!" Johnson said throwing his hands up in praise. Chris stood up. "Alright everyone with heat blisters sound off." Four other resounding "I!" calls came up from the Marines. "Anybody whose ass feels moist say 'I'. Four more Is. "Oh man, do we stink _again_?" Ryan said smelling the air. Sure enough, the squad had sweat so much that the cocktail of body odor was unsettling. "Chris, does my hair look frizzy?" "I'm not gonna answer that." "Go to hell, human." She said scowling.

Even in the shade it was 90 degrees. The squad stripped of their bulky upper armor until they wore T-shirts. They placed elbow pads on their arms. "OK. Anybody have a clue of where we're going?" Ryan pointed. "Yeah, how about the path decorated with skulls." There actually was a path which the entrance was marked with skulls. "Those aren't _human_ skulls are they?" Rouge said in a small voice. Chris looked at them "Human, alien, some animals in here, take your pick." Rouge gulped and grabbed a bigger gun.

"OK, everyone watch _everywhere_. We won't have the room to maneuver in this pass. If you see something that looks threatening, shout 'hostiles!' as loud as you can." "Won't that attract other hostiles sir?" Johnson asked. Chris frowned. "Move up, Marines.

The path went straight up the mountain. For the most part it was smooth sailing with only a few steeper natural ramps. "Look! It's Banks' Cobra!" Ryan said pointing dead ahead. The fighting vehicle was present in front of a cave of some sort. It was deathly silent. "Marines, get your weapons ready. I think whatever took Banks' men is inside that cave. Somebody needs to stay with the Warthog. Johnson, Percy thanks for volunteering." Johnson nodded but Ryan said, "Why can't I go in?" "_You're_ our link to Command. If anything, _anything_ happens to us, I want you to go back and call for help." Ryan shrugged. "Yes sir." "Rouge, Sally, 24, follow me." The three Marines and a robot went inside the cave and switched their flashlights on.

It was quiet, too quiet. They could hear the wind echoing in the deep reaches of the cavern. It was a ghostly sound that made Chris shudder to think about it. He kept his aviators on even though they were indoors. He did it to keep the girls calm. The big strong male leader couldn't show fear otherwise the morale would be out the window and into the toilet. "Statement: It seems that Sergeant Acorn and Private Rouge are afraid of this place. Might I suggest a story to help cheer them up?" both of them shouted "NO!" then they heard something move and they shone their lights on it. Nothing was there.

"OK, this place is beginning to creep me out." Maybe Banks and men are dusted." Sally said with her voice baritone shivering slightly. "Yeah, I'm with Princess here." Rouge said equally afraid. They were now in a large cavern likely hundreds of meters across. It was pitch dark and the sound was swallowed up by the dark. Even more so, there was some breathing in the background. It wasn't theirs.

Sally started breathing faster. She thought about where the breathing was coming from sweeping her flashlight all around. All forms of military discipline were gone. She was just a teenager again. "Chris, can we turn around please?!" she pleaded. The Captain wheeled around. Tears were welling in her eyes and were dropping down her cheeks. "Oh Sally…" suddenly rocks dropped and echoed in the cavern. "Cautionary: Master, I am detecting activity. I believe contacts are closing in on our position." "Oh God! Where are they?" Rouge asked in a high pitched voice. "Where are they?" she asked again. There was only silence. Then they struck.

Chris was hit in the side of the head by a hard stick. He tumbled to the ground and smacked his head against the rocks. Sally saw the enemy and fired a short burst into it. The thing roared and tumbled to the ground dead. The Princess wheeled around and expertly shot another one right between the eyes. One got a little too close and she tossed it over the precipice of a cliff. It roared for a few seconds then curtly cut off accompanied with a _thud_. Chris came to his senses. "HK-24! It's the Sand People! Tell them we mean no harm!" "Translation:" a string of howls and roars came from HK-24. The onslaught ceased at once and the leader of the group roared back at the robot. "Translation: It appears that this Sand Person is surprised that an outsider knows his language. He will not attack but deliver us to his leader." "Good. Tell them we will put away our weapons. HK-24 screamed the dialect at the Sand People. "Translation: They could care less, Master. All they want us to do is hush ourselves or they will kill us."

Without a word, they followed the Sand People deeper into the cave. Soon, they could see fires and buildings carved into the rock walls. Females and children were standing there watching the males return with these new aliens. "Wow. They have a whole community in here." Sally said in awe. "Yeah. I wonder why they're here." HK-24 said, "Extrapolation: It appears that perhaps the Sand People felt threatened by the citizens of Anchorhead and have kept their distance. It appears that they have a miserable life under the mountain." The lead Sand Person roared at his captives. "Translation: This Sand Person wishes you to show utmost respect to the chieftain. No doubt he will be unhappy with an outsider in his presence." Chris said, "Can you ask him if there are any more prisoners like us in the area?" "Translation:" growls and howls. "Translation: Yes, there are about ten other prisoners in this community. Two were killed because of their resistance against the Sand People." "Christ…" Chris breathed.

There was one large door in front of them that led to a large chamber. The guide roared at them. "Translation: This is the chamber of the chieftain of this tribe. Show respect to him, Master. I don't feel that we are welcome guests in this place." Sally smiled nervously. "We never are, are we?"


	11. Chapter 10: Open Season

Chapter 10: Open Season

November 1st, 3235, 1321 hours

Jagged Claw Mountains

Sand People Enclave

The chieftain's chambers were very large. It stretched for a few hundred feet into the air. Some of the paneling for the walls seemed to be from derelict starships. The chieftain was in the center of the room. He was easily recognizable because his mask covering his face was much more elaborate than those of the other Sand People. Females crowded around the elite Sand Person. As soon as he saw the guide come in, he barked once and the females skittered away, leaving him to speak with the intruders.

"Warning: Master, watch what you say around the chieftain. The Sand People are known to attack should outsiders ask questions that contradict their beliefs or their likes." The Captain nodded. "OK, we'll be sure to steer clear of any questions like that." The chieftain barked at the group with a howl mixed in. "Translation: The chieftain is asking why such 'unclean, slandering usurpers' is being brought before his 'holy throne'." "Holy Throne?" Sally asked. "Explanation:" 24 said, "It appears that this chieftain is also a holy priest of his culture, born and raised to show the Sand People the way to salvation."

"He sounds a little full of himself if you ask me." Rouge laughed. "Statement: Perhaps. However, it is best not to state that in front of the chieftain." "Why do you keep saying that?" Chris demanded. "Is every other thing we say going to have a negative impact on our survival chances?" "Hesitant Answer: Err…Master do you really want to hear the answer to that?" The Captain sighed. "Forget it. Ask him what he plans to do with us?" the droid spoke to the Sand Person chieftain. "Translation: It appears that he is unhappy that you managed to kill some of his warriors. He plans to make you his prisoners." Sally said, "He doesn't seem ready to kill us on the spot." 24 answered back, "Surprised Answer: Mistress you seem to be correct. Not once did I interpret a threat. I believe that the Sand People are not as barbaric as Czerka makes them out to be!"

"We can worry about that later. Ask him about the map." "Translation: Yes. The chieftain has seen the map, Master. His people have the map in sort of a temple. Is this why you came into the enclave?" "Yes." A short bark came from 24's vocabulator. "Translation: You must perform a task to prove whether you are worthy of entering the temple to retrieve the map. A rite of passage if you will." The princess asked, "What's that?" "Answer: Slay a Great Krayt Dragon with your bare hands."

The chieftain showed them a cave painting of the Great Krayt Dragon. "Translation: (this is his exact words, Master.) The Great Krayt Dragon is a might serpent of the dunes. It stretches a long distance from snout to tail. Ferocious teeth and fangs line its mouth threatening to bite any warrior that gets near to it to bits. Complete this task, and you will gain access to the map." Sally folded her arms and frowned. "I get the feeling that the chieftain just wants to see us get eaten by that _monster_." "Observation: I was thinking the exact same thing. The prospect is very risky with a high probability of death. This should be fun!" "Fun? FUN? We might die!" Rouge screamed at the robot. Her screech was so loud that several Sand People raised their sticks in anticipation.

"24, ask the chieftain where we can find the beast." After a series of shrieks and growls, HK-24 said, "Translation: He wishes to see your map, Master." Chris grabbed the scroll out of his backpack and handed it to the chieftain. The Sand Person pointed to one spot and the Marine marked it with a pen. "That's our target." The Captain said. Sally picked up the map and scrutinized it. "Chris, that's a bit of a drive." "We'll manage, Princess. We need to get back to Ryan and Avery to tell them they're staying here." Princess Sally sighed sadly. "Ryan's not going to be happy. Avery I'm fine with, he's been in a tin can for a few centuries." Chris flared, "My job is not to make sure Ryan's happy. My job is to make sure we get home safely, Sergeant." Sally huffed. The Mobian _hated_ it when Chris mentioned her rank; it sort of drifted them apart, the separation of ranking structure. "Marines, move out." They all said, "Yes sir!" and turned to follow the human. They saw an ODST helmet on a pike just as they were leaving. "Hey, they liked the helmets so much they decided to hang them up for them to see!" Rouge said. Chris hated to burst her bubble. "Uh Rouge…" The bat gagged and ran out of the chamber.

Chris and the girls exited the cave with their escorts following them. Ryan and Avery had their rifles aimed but the Captain calmed them down. "We're OK, guys. You two need to stay here and guard the Cobra. Me, Sally, Rouge and 24 are going to be taking the Warthog to hunt us a dragon." Ryan threw his gun into the sand. "What is going on here? You're going dragon hunting without _me_?! The world's not fucking fair anymore!" Avery slapped Ryan on the shoulder. "Chin up, boy! You're a Marine, act like it!" Johnson nodded at the Captain. "I'll keep him safe, sir."

The walk back down was relatively safer. Chris climbed into the driver seat of the Warthog and started the engine. Sally got shotgun and planted her bee-arr on the dashboard. Rouge and 24 climbed into the back. "Let's roll." Sally said. The Captain put the pedal to the metal and fishtailed the Warthog away from the mountain.

"So is this place a Krayt Dragon nesting ground?" Sally asked looking at the map. "_Negative, Sal. It's a hotspot. Dragons are known to be coming through this place all the time. Based on local news reports, an estimate of 50 –something hunters and prospectors have been killed by this particular Krayt Dragons alone._" NICOLE said. "What exactly is our target, NICOLE?" Chris asked the AI. "_Hold on to your cap, Captain: This is a big boy. According to survey teams, the only Krayt Dragon in the area so far is about 120 meters long with teeth as long as 'moisture vaporators'. Huh, sounds pretty intense._" Rouge leaned over the back of the 'Hog. "Excuse me Captain, but how are we going to kill that thing _by ourselves_?" Chris stared straight at the road ahead nearly avoiding a creature called a dewback. Chris honked the horn to scare the other creatures away and wiped some sweat from his face. "We'll find a way. Believe me."

Tatoo I and Tatoo II only got higher into the midday sky. NICOLE chimed in. "_News for you, Captain._" "Hit me." The human said. "_I'm detecting a heat signature in the valley up ahead._" "How hot is it?" "_I think you mean _cooler_, Chris. Anyway, heat signature's size is confirmed as our Krayt Dragon. I'm also reading smaller signatures but the results are inconclusive. I'll try to keep updating as soon as I can._" Chris nodded and jumped over a sand dune. "Thank you, NICOLE." "_Oh, I nearly forgot. I've done a scan on the black box from the Pelican. You aren't going to believe this_." The pilots' voices came through the Warthog's speakers.

"_OK, stabilizing descent, maintaining speed of 500 knots. We're in the pipe, Captain Banks. ETA to surface is nine minutes._" Banks said, "_Good. Make sure we find a good place to set this bird down. I hate deserts_." The radar bleeped and was easily audible through the speakers. "_What is _THAT?" the copilot asked. "_Some kind of Anti-Air emplacements! Hang on, we're going o try and get out of their range!_" the pilots cursed and from the sound of things, banked their dropship from side to side. "_Port engine is gone! Hull breach!_" The Marines could hear the sound of the rushing wind. "_This is Omega 321, Mayday! Mayday! We are being engaged by hostile AAA battery! I say again, Mayday! PREPARE FOR FORCED LANDING!_" There was rushing air for the next two minutes and a bone-jostling crash. Then, the channel went silent."

Sally leaned toward the radio. "Hang on, they mentioned Triple A batteries. Didn't you say that there were none of these on this planet?" Chris nodded. "Yeah that's what the lady at…Mother FUCK!" The Captain yelled banging the steering wheel. Sally leaned back in her chair too with her hand on her forehead. "Czerka. They lied to us! They said that they had no guns on this planet." "Extrapolation: Perhaps Czerka Corporation didn't want us to find something they were not willing to share." Rouge chimed in, "That's why the guy at the spaceport wanted to know if we were military! Maybe he thought we were part of a…inquiry team or something." "Oh and they played us for idiots!" Chris said tossing his hat into the back.

"_I know this may not be the time, but I have just uncovered some interesting information about Czerka's activity throughout the Galaxy._" NICOLE said. "It gets worse?" Sally asked. "_Apparently. Czerka has dipped into several black market scandals, hundreds of fraud scams, supplying the Mandalorians with weapons against the Republic's orders, the list goes on…_" Chris sighed. "So what do we do?" "Answer: We find that dragon, kill it and wring the neck of every corporate employee we find." Sally cocked her battle rifle. "I like that plan: Simple and easy to remember." Suddenly, Chris slammed on the brakes. Sand sprayed into the cabin. "What's up?" Rouge said brushing some sand from her hair. "Got something on Motion sensors: big stuff." "Eager Statement: I really want to see how a Krayt Dragon can stand up against us."

Chris climbed from the seat. "Heh, I really don't know about that, 24." "Puzzled Query: But…but Master, aren't you the famed hero of the Battle of Robotropolis, slaying hundreds of droids and keeping your friends alive?" "Yeah but I-" he said but 24 interrupted "…and what of the Battle of Tallahan V during the Rainforest Wars? You single handedly killed the leader of the insurrection!" "That was a misconception. I and three others had him at gunpoint but we gave him to the UN. _They _killed him, not me." "And what about the Mobius campaign. You logged more than 1000 robot kills and saved the princess three times in a row!" Chris rolled his head to one side. "I wasn't crazy about her back then." "You're being modest, Chris." Sally said slinging her rifle across her back. "You were one inch away from putting a picture of me next to your bed and-" "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Chris yelled. The noise reverberated off some sand-eroded rocks. "Statement: The point I'm trying to make is that you and your men are some of the most legendary figures in this war. I…I'd hate to be disappointed." Chris sighed wearily and picked up his hat and assault rifle from the back of the jeep. "Come on, let's hunt us a dragon."

"The sun is killing my skin." Rouge complained looking at her skin that was turning red." Sally dug her boot out of the soft sand. "You know for once, I have to agree with you, Rouge. It feels…like a fucking blast furnace in here. I bet I lost five pounds on the car ride here." Chris hooked his Assault rifle over his shoulder and tugged his hat over his eyes. "Shaddup…We're closing in on that dragon now. Don't give away your position and-" The ground rumbled. "Did you feel that?" Sally asked. "Did you _hear_ that?" Rouge asked. "No we don't all have ears the size of frying pans." Sally said sarcastically. Just over the ridge was the valley. In that valley was the largest thing they had ever seen alive.

The Great Krayt Dragon was well over 100 meters long and sand brown. Several scales on its body were missing and four great, twisted horns jutted out of its skull. It seemed to be thundering towards a cave of some sort. "That looks like its home. Sally said pulling binoculars out of her utility belt. "What do you see?" the Captain asked. "It's a big cave; Estimated about 100 meters wide at the biggest point. We're not getting close to that thing in the Hog. Engine will wake this beast up." "Then we walk." Vennettilli said. "Sarcastic Comment: Ah, more walking. Wonderful."

The Marines walked up to the cave as softly as they could. The Krayt Dragon appeared to be sleeping in the cave. "NICOLE, Read that dragon's brainwave patterns." The Marine Captain ordered. "_Sleeping like a baby_." She happily reported. "OK. Sally, you're on point. HK-24, cover the princess, Rouge with me." Sally nodded and motioned the droid to follow her. "Stay close, Rouge." Chris said raising his weapon and following Sally. The bat raised her assault rifle and stayed close to her human companion. Maybe a little too close for Chris' liking.

"Stone cold." Sally whispered into the COM. "It's not breathing heavily. Must be dreaming." "Good keep it that way until we can find a way to kill it." "Roger that, Captain."

Sally walked around to the snout of the dragon. "Oh, you are beautiful." She said quietly. She could have sworn that she saw some sort of glistening in the throat of the beast. "HK-24, what's that?" Acorn whispered. "Answer: That is the pearl of the Krayt Dragon." Rouge twitched. "Did she say pearl?" "Affirmative. The pearl itself is a tool to help crush food. Over time the pearl becomes hard and rounded. It can easily fetch for hundreds of thousands of Republic Credits."

Rouge was having a miniature seizure. The thief's sense was tingling in the base of her skull. She couldn't control herself. _I HAVE TO HAVE THAT PEARL!_ She said to herself. Before she knew it, Rouge had set off in a run. "Rouge! No!" Chris said. But it was too late: Rouge tripped over a rock and her gun and pack crashed onto the stone floor of the cave. Sally and Chris grimaced as they heard the beast wake up. The dragon roared in annoyance because it had been woken up. It turned its head around and saw the three Marines and one robot. It roared with such defiance that rocks from the ceiling fell down. "Oh shit…" Sally said, her eyes going wide.

"Rouge, Rouge! You OK?" Chris said picking the bat up. She was clutching her leg with white knuckles. "A rock stabbed me, Chris!" She said sniffling a little. The captain rolled up her pant leg to see the extent of the problem. A sharp rock had indeed punctured Rouge's leg and tapped her tibia. Chris swore and retrieved a dressing from his backpack. He cleaned the wound with a swab of Hydrogen peroxide and wrapped a dressing around it. He tapped her leg and said, "Good as new." Gunshots echoed in the cave. Sally had gone full auto with her battle rifle. Bullets peppered the beast with little effect. Some glanced off with whistling ricochets but a couple chipped off some scales.

Chris ejected a round from the chamber of his assault rifle and shot at the dragon. The weapon belched rounds at incredible speeds. The Captain constantly looked at his ammo counter which dwindled down to zero in a mere 20 seconds. The human swapped mags and continued to fight. HK-24 had dual-wielded assault rifles and aimed at the creature's eyes. The droid hammered away, the spent shell casing _tinkling_ on the stone floor. Suddenly, NICOLE said, "_Sally! Remember those heat signatures I told you about? They're awake!_" "They?" Sally asked, and then hey popped up from the larger dragon.

About twenty other Krayt Dragons appeared, no more then ten meters in length. "Oh my God, it's a mother!" Sally screamed shooting at the matriarch. "Kids protecting their mom…" Chris said. "Kill them too!" He ordered. Sally and Rouge actually stopped shooting and looked at the Captain. "Rouge: keep focusing on those dragons. 24 back her up!" Sally barked. She ran up to him. "You're saying that you want to kill the little dragons? They're barely infants! You're not even giving them a chance at life!" Chris stared into the Mobian's eyes. They had done this often but this time, Chris' normally caring eyes had gone cold. What she saw in the darkness there made her shiver. It made her afraid to look at the man she loved.

Orders were orders.

"24, concentrate on the dragons on the right. Rouge, keep on pestering the mother, buy us time!" Sally said. "Captain, what are you going to do?" Chris decided to take the little dragons on the left near the cave entrance. His rifle bucked in his hands as he sent a four round burst at a young Krayt. The bullets impacted dead center on the forehead and shredded its skull. Bits of brain matter and bone sprayed its younger sibling. The tiny Krayt howled in the loss and jumped straight at Chris. The Marine raised his arm to block the beast but it sunk its teeth into his arm. Chris screamed in pain, but he tried to force it away from biting his arm off. Vennettilli grabbed the combat knife in his leg holster and jabbed it through the soft spot under the chin. The blade sprouted through the roof of the skull and the beast screamed in pain. Chris threw it off and gave it one shot to the head to ease its suffering.

Sally was having a tougher time than he was. She regretted each shot she took. _I'm sorry!_ She screamed in her head. Each little creature screeched as the armor piercing bullets pieced their bodies and threw them into arcing patterns in the air. 24 was having fun. It would be cruel to describe what he did to these young dragons.

The mother had had enough. She screamed in anger and tossed Sally into the wall. The princess impacted the cave wall at nearly 20 miles an hour. The T-shirt she was wearing didn't amount to much protection and she audibly heard her spine crack. She fell five feet face first into the ground and was still. "SALLY!" Chris yelled. The princess remained still. Rouge saw her nemesis down and started to lose her morale. Her shots went wide and blasted century-old stalagmites into dust. "FALL BACK!" The Captain ordered picking Sally up in his arms. She was tiny compared to him, even though she was only about a half-head shorter. He stared at her face. A bloody gash had appeared on her forehead and the red fluid dripped down her cheek onto his arm. She was breathing though. Her breaths were short and ragged. Damn, a lung punctured.

Chris ran outside and towards the Warthog. He placed her in the passenger seat. He removed her shirt and examined the skin underneath her fur. Sally's fifth and sixth ribs on both sides had been forced up against her skin creating a sickly lapse on the surface. She would need a day or two in the tanks go get the ribs back in place and a trip to the chiropractor. Regardless, he wrapped about four yards worth of dressing around her upper torso. He left her shirt off though, less heat buildup. Last thing he wanted was for her to have a heat stroke.

Rouge and HK-24 were slowly making a retreat. Rouge had become ruthless, extending her wings to make herself appear bigger. Some of the young dragons backed down while HK-24 blew them away with mechanized cruelty. Chris keyed in his radio. "Ryan, Avery! We need your help ASAP!" "_Chris! NO! That's breaking the rules!_" NICOLE said. "What the chieftain doesn't know won't hurt him." "Avery, Ryan! Are you there?"

Back at Jagged Claw Mountain, Johnson and Percy were laying on top of the Cobra both smoking cigars. Ryan wasn't much of a smoker but he felt he needed to bond more with Sarge. "What should we do next? See what shapes clouds make?" "Percy, there _are_ no clouds on this rock." "Oh right. How about we talk about what we like?" "Are we on a _date_ you ignorant bastard?" "Soorrry." Ryan said blowing a smoke ring. "These things are pretty good." Ryan said. "Heh, I got hundreds back on the ship. Stocked up before I left." He tapped his temple. "That's the smart thing. Did I ever tell you how I got hooked on these things in the first place?" Ryan sat up. "No." "Well, it was back on a planet called Harvest when I-" "_Avery, Ryan! Are you there?_" The Sergeant groaned. "Perfect timing, Captain." He answered his COM. "Yeah we're here. What's going on?" "_We're outnumbered by a shitload! Get your asses over here now!_" "Sir! That's breaking the rules! You need to do this by yourselves!" "_Sally's down. Incapacitated but she needs medical attention_." Johnson and Ryan stared at each other. Sally was a great friend. She was also like a mother to the guys. Well, an incredibly good-looking mother.

"Let's roll, Sarge. I call driver." Ryan said climbing into the Cobra's driver seat. He activated the engine and felt it rumble around him. Johnson climbed into the passenger/turret seat and ran a check: "Gauss cannons are A-OK. Coils reporting green." He looked at Ryan and smiled. "Let's hunt us a dragon, boy!" He reached into his pocket and placed a music player on the dash and connected it to the speakers. The music began to plat at once. '_Welcome to the Jungle/we got fun n' games/we got everything you want/Honey we know the names!_' "Sarge, I fucking love you. Crank that!"

The Cobra leapt off the cliff and bounced on the sand. Ryan shifted gears with tune to the ancient music. He pushed 200 and sped into the desert. _Welcome to the jungle/watch it bring you to your shun n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n knees! _

"Do you think they got the message?" Rouge asked reloading and tossing the empty clip aside. HK-24 climbed into the M41 turret and sprayed the Krayt with rounds. They did slightly better chipping away at the scales but it wasn't enough. The ammo belt ran out. "Exclamation: Master I'm out of ammunition!" The mother charged at them with alarming speed. Chris scooped Sally out of the seat and ran away. The dragon swiped and sent the Warthog spinning in the air and it exploded about a hundred feet away. HK-24 had gotten out by this time. "Back to the cave!" Chris said. The squad ran back, but the dragon was nipping at their heels. Chris nearly tripped over his feet but looking at Sally's sleeping face kept him upright. Rouge cocked an ear. "Do you hear music?" Chris stopped and listened. "No." "I do. Guns and Roses, 1987." "Good ear." Chris said jokingly. "I don't think Guns and Roses can save us now though." He said looking behind him. The dragon was now fifteen feet distant. This was it. Death by ingestion.

Suddenly he heard it too. It was a fading music but coming close: _You know where you are? You're in the jungle baby! You're gonna die!_ At that exact lyric, a Cobra fighting vehicle leapt over them and landed to their right. It was piloted by none other than Ryan and Johnson. Johnson activated the gauss cannons. They pulsed blue with energy. Johnson sent three supersonic rounds into the remaining young Krayts. The rounds completely obliterated the dragons and left bloody patches. Sarge laughed maniacally while clamping his cigar in his perfect white teeth.

The mother dragon turned to confront the new threat. Sarge's expression of maniac glee down casted to a frown. "Percy! This thing is fucking huge! Commence metamorphosis!" "Activating, sir!" Ryan said.

Four large weights were deployed behind the tires to keep the vehicle in place. The two cannons combined to form a 105mm cannon for power attacks. "Come on, come on, come on!" Johnson chanted urging the guns to be ready. When the reticule turned blue, he thumbed the firing studs and sent a 105mm round into the open mouth of the Krayt dragon.

The beast's head exploded in a shower of blood and bone. Johnson closed the hatch on the turret to save himself from the gore splash. The Marines cheered and ran towards the Cobra. Johnson and Ryan exited the vehicle and stared at Sally. "Is she going to be OK?" Ryan asked seriously. "Yeah. I'll keep an eye on her. We need to get back to the enclave and give the chieftain something that would prove we killed this thing." Rouge popped up behind Chris. "How about this?" She said holding the pearl in front of the Captain. Chris smiled. "You didn't keep it." He smiled. "Yeah, I think I'll wait till we get home before I do any more jewel heists." Chris smiled and actually placed an arm around her shoulder. "Thanks for that. I'll overlook the whole tripping on a rock and giving us away thing." Rouge giggled. "Thanks, hon." She said and pecked the Captain on the cheek. Chris smiled but shook it off though. "Come on. Let's head back to the enclave. Relax. The chieftain isn't going to know anything."

Ryan once again piloted the Cobra back. The others sat on the front of the vehicle. Chris was on top of the turret holding Sally in his arms staring at the suns as they began to set. Chris stroked her hair and rocked her back and forth as if he would a child. She still hadn't woken up and the Captain was worried if she was comatose. He hoped not. He suppressed a sniffle and placed his forehead to hers. "Please wake up." He begged. "Please."

He was disappointed.

The Cobra arrived back at the exact same place where they had left. The entrance was guarded by two Sand People. They held their sticks tightly in their hands and beckoned towards the cave. It was a familiar journey that took them towards the chieftain's chambers again. This time though, the Sand People chieftain had his arms crossed and seemed angry through his mask. That wasn't saying much since almost everyone in this damn enclave looked angry. "You don't think he knows, do you?" Rouge whispered into the Captain's ear. "He can't. Whatever happened was mile away from here." The Sand People chieftain roared loudly causing several Sand People minors to raise their guns and sticks. "Translation: The Sand People chieftain is _not_ pleased, Captain." HK-24 said gravely. Chris was scared to ask. "Why?" "Apparently, several scouts reported seeing your vehicle leave the enclave and return with blood on its hood. The same exact color of the Krayt Dragon's blood." "Game over." Chris said through clenched teeth and wide eyes. A few minors waked up to them and shoved their sticks at them.

"He says that you have betrayed the honor and trust of the tribe, breaking your promise like that. He promises that you shall die in great pain today." That was it. "24, give him our response to that." "Eager Statement: Yes Master. Weapons at the ready!" 24 shot the chieftain several times with the dual assault rifles. The Sand Person seemed to fly apart under the barrage of bullets. Minors charged in to kill the Marines. Rouge swiped a knife at the closest one to her. Blood flowed out of the wound and sprayed all over her. "Oh gross!" She yelled. "Not the time!" Chris yelled. He held Sally in one arm while the other dug into his holster and he retrieved his pistol. The weapon belched a .50 caliber round at the approaching Sand People Warrior. His head snapped back as the round caught it dead center in the forehead. There were several close calls. Ryan grabbed a flaming piece of wood and lit a Sand Person on fire. It howled in pain and anger as it tried to take his assailant down. He failed of course and Ryan blew it away with his shotgun. Ryan laughed as he pumped a new shell into the chamber. In three more minutes, the entire chieftain chamber was deathly silent. Sand People male and female alike were lying on the floor spilling blood.

"I can't believe we just did that." Rouge said lowering her assault rifle. "Cut the sympathy. Them or us, Marine!" the Captain barked. "Where's this temple, NICOLE?" "_Wait one. Analyzing photograph taken from the _Phoenix_ at 1121 hours. Got it. I see a large cavern on the summit of the mountain, hardly a holy temple. I wonder what's inside?_" "We're going to find out. Can you find the quickest way to get to the top?" "_I think so. Put me in holographic mode. I'll see what I can tell from scanning._" When the Captain was taking NICOLE from his unconscious friend's leg, she said, "_How's my girl?_" Chris looked at Sally. She didn't budge, "Napping; Possible concussion and/or trauma from a toss against a stone wall. Where were you?""_Sometimes I just space out. You know, take in my surroundings._" "Oh, you literally _space_ out." "_That's about the size of it_."

He flipped NICOLE's lid open with his thumb and activated the holographic interface. NICOLE audibly gasped when she saw her owner's condition. "Oh no!" She said. From the look in the Captain's eyes though, she knew that Sally would be OK. "OK, hang on. I'm detecting an upward sloping passage located twenty five meters to your right."

"Wait! Where are Banks and his team?" Rouge asked. "Oh, my apologies. Turn left at the next intersection." NICOLE said. They followed her directions and there was a prison room. Johnson cranked open the door and all the ODSTs stood. "C…Chris?!" Banks said surprised. "'Sup Tyrell?" the Captain said. Captain Banks stared at the Captain dead in the eye. "You got a lot of balls to pull what you just did." He then patted him on the shoulder. "Thanks, bro. How's your girl?" "Hurt badly. We need to get her aboard the ship." He addressed all of the ODSTs. "All of you follow me! Grab whatever weapons you can and don't hold back!" Tyrell braked, "You heard the Captain, you lazy-ass bitches! MOVE!"

The standing soldiers ran down the hall to where the AI instructed them. There was the passageway exactly as they were promised. "OK, head up this walkway until you get to the top." "That's it." Rouge asked. "That's it." She laughed. "Expecting something more elaborate?" "No, something more difficult."

The passageway opened to the sky. Several Sand People were waiting for them with guns raised. Each projectile weapon barked and sent bullets chasing after the Marines. "Percy! Grenades up!" Ryan saluted and selected a fragmentation grenade from his pack. He pulled the pin out with this finger and tossed it towards the Sand People. There was a bang and the warriors vanished from view. When the clouds of dust cleared, all there was left of them were bloody robes and dusty body parts. "Move up! The temple is straight ahead!" The way seemed clear but more and more Sand People kept jumping out from hiding places. "Damn! Where do they keep coming from?" Johnson asked. The Marines and ODSTs fired their weapons and killed the warriors. Some jumped from behind rock formations and got into close combat. The Captain fended one off with his knife. The combined weight of one incapacitated anthro and his armor was almost too tough for him to bear. He won the fight though by stabbing the warrior through the skull and knocking his body off a ledge.

The cave entrance was so close now. The Marines dashed inside and Ryan placed cylinders on the ground. "What are those?" "M-3218 Close-Quarter Automated turrets." Ryan said reading the label on the activation device. "Sounds deadly." He thumbed the device and the cylinders unfolded to reveal quite large cannons. They fired in three-round bursts at the approaching warriors. Spent shells spat out of the turrets and arced in the air, briefly flashing in the setting suns. "That oughta buy us some time." The corporal said. "Query: And how long is that, Corporal?" Ryan winced. "Three minutes, give or take depending on how many rounds came with the turret." The Marines looked at each other and ran deeper into the cave. The turrets shot each approaching Sand Person s they got close.

Inside the cave, there was a stone altar at the far end. On that altar, there was a small cube. "Jackpot." Chris said smiling. He walked up to it but noticed that he was still carrying Sally. "Ryan, open it. Take NICOLE with you." Corporal Percy nodded and took NICOLE from Chris' clenched hand. "What do I do?" Ryan asked. "_Just tap the button_." NICOLE said. "Which button?" "_It's the _only _button on there._" The AI sighed. "_Humans. __Jesus…_" Ryan tapped the button and the cube unfolded to show a holographic representation of the galaxy. "_Okay, that's it. Hold on a minute while I record this_." The turrets started to beep. "What does that mean?" Rouge said bracing for his answer. Ryan swallowed. "It means that the turrets ran out of power." "Expletive: Oh shit." The cylinders folded in on themselves and became inert. The Sand People screamed a battle cry and charged forward with their sticks raised. Every able Marine fired at the approaching horde. Many fell under the impact of the human weaponry. Soon, the entire cave stank of blood and gunpowder. "_OK, I've got it! The map is secured!_" "Observation: It does not appear that we have a way off this planet yet." "_I hate it when he's right_." NICOLE said in an annoyed voice. Suddenly, jets filled the air and the Sand People stopped charging. They turned around and saw what was making the commotion. It was Albatross 15.

"_Get aboard, guys!_" The pilot said through the intercom. The bay doors opened for them. The copilot fired a stationary machine gun at the Sand People who seemed too stunned to do anything else. The Marines ran towards the dropship and climbed aboard. The hulk of Omega 321 was attached to a magnet grappler underneath the craft. "No Cobra?" Chris said. "Nah! We're leaving it!" The copilot said. "We're in deep shit already. Czerka didn't like us taking off without permission but we needed to. They're right behind us." "OK. Take us out of here." The Captain ordered. "_Going up!_" The pilot said as he sealed the bay doors. The jets kicked in and the Albatross flung into the high reaches of the atmosphere. "_Radar is clear, we lost them_." The pilot said with some self-satisfaction. "So, how did you guys find us?" Johnson asked the pilots. The copilot leaned on the machine gun and took his helmet off. He smiled and wiped his sweaty forehead. "Bianca was keeping tabs on you guys. Couldn't get through to you though, some sort of interference in the ionosphere." "So she went to you guys instead." Rouge noted. "Yeah. You were in bad shape up there. Is she alright?" The copilot said pointing at Sally. The blood had coagulated in her gash but the ribs seemed to still be in bad shape. Either by Chris' own fault or by accident, a small red stain formed on the bandages. "She'll be fine. What's our ETA on the _Phoenix_?" "_Two minutes, Captain. Recommend you sit back, relax and let us 'rocket-scientists' fly._" Chris smiled at the joke but his face turned sour when he looked at Sally's puncture wound.

The Albatross landed inside the bay with the aid of a marshal. A few forklifts took what was left of Omega 321 to the repair bay to see if she could be repaired or repurposed. Before the bay doors even came down completely, the Captain was running towards the elevator. He was so determined to save one of his men that he blew past Miles. The fox was shocked to see Sally hurt like that and chased after the Captain. "Chris! What happened to Sally?" "She'll be OK, Tails. We just had a little problem on the surface." Chris said in between breaths. He was not in the mood for smalltalk. The Captain was in the elevator in the blink of an eye and punched in Deck 4: Medical.

Sally's condition had gotten worse. The wound had been exposed and needed to get treated ASAP or else she could get an infection. The door pinged open and Chris ran down the hall nudging aside any Navy personnel that didn't get out of his way. The doors to the Medical wing slid apart and the Captain shouted, "Doctor! I need some help here!" The Lieutenant Commander looked over at him. "Right, Captain. Lay her on the table." "Yes, sir." Chris said shakily. "Sir, she got a nasty smack on the head and her ribs have punctured her lungs and poked through her skin." The LC ran a scanner over her body. "Yeah we have a case here." He turned to a nurse. "Get me some morphine and some equipment; I want to get that rib back in place. She also does have some trauma in the back of her head. Nothing we can't fix though. We'll put her through the kolto tank."

"Is that safe?" "Well, if it was any result with the kolto we used before in sparse amounts, a short dunk should make her feel better than ever." He peeled away the bandage and looked at her skin. "Not pretty." The white bone from her rib went through easily. If she was conscious, she would have passed out from the pain. "What can you do about the trauma?" "She'll be OK. You have to be debriefed now, correct Captain?" "Yes sir." "Well get a move on! You're contaminating my sterile environment. Go on, get!" "Yes sir, I'm gone sir."

The minute he walked out of the medlab the rest of the Marines were crowded around the door. Chris gasped loudly and nearly pulled out his gun. "I'm sorry, were we not welcome?" Johnson asked. Bunnie ran up to the human and grabbed his shoulders. "Where _is_ she? Where's my Sally-girl?" Chris could feel the cold grasp of her metallic hand on his shoulder. "She's going to be OK. She smacked her head and punctured a lung but she'll be fine." "Are you sure?" she asked, her eyes brimming with tears. "Bunnie, I'm sure." The Captain said. The Mobian rabbit cried a little into his shirt. "Oh my stars. Oh my _stars_." She kept saying over and over. Chris hugged her slightly. He couldn't deny that she was sympathetic towards Bunnie. Sally was her oldest friend. But why were all these athros attracted to _him_? He didn't mind the attention but what happened to human girls?

Chris rubbed his shirt. "OK, now that we're all done, we are to report for debriefing. Everyone follow me to the briefing room."

Captain Perry sat in the one chair closest to the window. "I don't know how you keep doing it, Captain Vennettilli, but you do it. I have to say I am damned impressed. The 182nd has sired another great legend." Chris stood solemnly. "Sir, I was just trying to get that map and get off that place." "Understandable Captain but what I saw down there was unbelievable. You coordinated with your team and took out a creature that was 100 times your size! You saved an entire company of men and got them out of there with no casualties! Amazing."

"Sir, there was one." "Ah yes. Sergeant Acorn will be back on her feet in no time believe me. You certainly are attached to her aren't you?" "I made her a promise, sir." "And what was that promise, Captain?" "I said to her myself that I would never give up on any of my men including her. I said that I would use every ounce of my strength to protect her." "Well, you certainly did that." Perry said taking a sip of strong coffee. "Bianca, what's the status on that map?" Bianca popped up on the briefing room projector. "Still incomplete, Captain. According to the fragmented data, there are still two more interfaces we need to find." "Can you find out where those are?" "Negative, at least for the moment. I'm still working on translating some of these ancient Sith messages and finding a literal meaning for them. It's not easy work you know." She disappeared at that." "Well, until we know where we're going, this ship is going to be in orbit around one of these moons here, somewhere where Czerka won't check. You did good Captain." He turned to Banks. "Tyrell, I'm sorry for your loss." "Sir, I lost good men that day. They were doing their duty and were trying to aid this crew in their journey back home. They didn't need to die like that." Chris nodded. It was clear that Tyrell Banks cared for his men as much as he did. "I hope you can set your mind at ease, Banks." Perry said laying a hand on his shoulder. "Dismissed, both of you. Get some rest."

Outside the briefing room, Chris and Tyrell shook hands. They had created a bond on that planet. "I owe you, man. I can't thank you." "Get me a beer and we'll call it even." The two men laughed as they walked away.

Later that night, Chris entered the medlab. The Lieutenant Commander was sitting behind a desk signing some papers. He noticed the Captain and smiled. "Back again, huh? She's doing fine before you ask. She's regained consciousness and her ribs and skin are fully healed. She's in tube 3 in the next room." "Thank you sir." "Don't mention it, kid."

Chris entered the room. There were dozens of kolto tanks lining the walls. Some were occupied. Sally's was on the wall opposite to him. Her slender body floated buoyant in the liquid and a breath mask was over her mouth and nose. She immediately noticed him and knocked on the tank. The Captain smiled widely and went up to see her. "Hey! How are you feeling?" "_Better! This stuff works wonders! I feel so good! Some of my other scratches were healed too._" She kicked her legs to make her point clear. "_Some of the guys were in here earlier. Did you really carry me all the way back?_" Chris nodded. "Yeah I did." Sally's pupils dilated at this. She placed her hand on the tank's interior wall. Chris placed his hand against the wall close to hers. "_Thank you_." She said softly. "We screwed up, Sally. You didn't need to get hurt like that." "_Quit beating yourself up. You were a gentleman enough to rescue little old me and that's all that matters._" Chris smiled. She forgave him for a mistake that wasn't even his fault. He didn't know how good he had it. "Captain, visiting hours are over," A female fox orderly said. "You can come back and see her in the morning."

Chris said, "Alright, I'll be out of here." He turned back to the princess. "I guess I'll see you in the morning then." "_Yeah. Thank you_." "Sleep tight, Sally." Sally shed a tear, but Chris couldn't see it. "_You too Chris. Sleep tight._" He turned to leave. _Sleep tight my hero._

As soon as the Captain walked through the doorway, Sally let her body go limp and let the kolto hold her. She didn't mind the fact that she didn't wear any clothing in here. She enjoyed the freedom and the cool feel of the healing agent against her body. The orderly closed the shutters on the windows and slowly Sally drifted to sleep. 


	12. Chapter 11: The Bombing of Telos

Chapter 11: The Bombing of Telos

November 1st, 3235, 1111 hours

UNSC _Phoenix_ (DDG-626)

Tatoo System

Space was especially calm these last few days. Tatooine continued its miserable circling of its stars with its three moons in tow. The UNSC _Phoenix_ was still the unwelcome guest in this system. Czerka Corporation gave up the hunt for them yesterday believing that that they had jumped out of system but in fact they had remained in this backwater end of the Outer Rim to formulate their next move to find the remaining computer interfaces which held the map pieces they needed. Right now the crew was running through the daily flight checks.

Lieutenant Gerard Briggs ran through the checklist. "Sir, Fusion reactors are reporting all green. Core temperature stabilizing at 5000 Kelvins. There is a slight .0521K deviation but it should be corrected by Engineering soon." Perry nodded leaning back in his command chair. "Understood Lieutenant Briggs. Lieutenant Hayes, how are the MAC guns?" The Mobian officer. Lieutenant Emily Hayes' ears twitched as she heard her name called. "MAC gun capacitors running green sir. We can run them to 95 percent in case of a combat emergency." "Why the 5 percent difference, Lieutenant?" The Captain asked. "I think the battle of Dxun shorted some of them out. I didn't track the capacitors since then. Forgive me, sir." "Don't worry about it Hayes. Good work." Emily purred in gratitude and continued with her work straight-faced. "Kevin, what have you got for me today, son?" Callows smiled and delivered his report. "Radar radius is monitoring the surrounding region for 600,000 kilometers. The only things I've detected were freighters and none of them were heading towards the moon. I think we're still safe from Czerka. I have a manifest of those ships if you'd like, sir." Perry waved his hand dismissively. Callows was trying to impress him. For what? Ensign Callows was always ambitious in the Academy and was overshadowed by the amount of silver bars and brass oak leaves on the bridge. Was he looking for a promotion or was it just pure cockiness? Alan Perry didn't like either of those things.

Suddenly, a flashing light appeared on the NAV panel. Calvin Briggs snapped at attention and slammed the button before Gerard could. "Maybe next time, bro." Calvin smirked. A readout flashed on the display in front of the Briggs twins including an urgent report from Engineering. "Uh sir, you may want to contact Major Faustus immediately. There's been a bit of trouble in the Engine room." Perry sighed. More good news. He tapped in the code to initiate a face-to-face with Tech Major Eli Faustus, the man in charge of Engineering.

Faustus was staring off screen cursing at someone. "I don't care what the fuck Kowalski said! I want you to seal those goddamned pipes!" the man sighed and looked at the camera. "Captain Perry sir." He said saluting. Perry returned the salute. "At ease, Major. What seems to be the trouble?" "_Everything_'s the trouble sir. You aren't gonna believe this. Look at my beautiful ship!" The camera snapped to another view of the _Phoenix_'s Engine Room. Small fires had started all around the area. Men and women, Human and Mobian were running in charred coveralls with fire extinguishers. Sprays of Carbon dioxide streaked from the extinguishers to smother the flames to little effect. The camera changed again and showed a panel that burst throwing wires and pipes out. Combinations of coolant, hot gas and live wires filled the immediate area threatening to deliver a triple threat strike to anyone who dared get close.

The camera snapped back to Faustus who took his hat off and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Yeah, we're going to hell here." "How did this happen, Major?" Faustus started to flare up. Evidently the Human had not gotten a lot of sleep. "Hell if I know Captain. All I do know is that we heard a big boom and fires started to break out. I have two men and three Mobians in medlab right now getting burn treatment!" Bianca snapped up on the holotank. "Captain perhaps the damage to the drive systems may have been caused by the battle above Dxun. A _Phoenix_-Class destroyer wasn't designed to take on a small battle fleet." Perry turned to the AI. "If that's true, Bianca, why didn't it give until now?" "I am not sure, Captain but the damage has been done and we need repairs."

The Navy Captain turned back to the Tech Major. "Damage report, Major Faustus." Eli checked his personal datapad that was linked to the ship's computers. "We have two fusion pylons damages, one of them severely done so, we have numerous panels and pipes that need to be replaced, an entire section of bulkhead is buckling from pressure loss, and the temperature control unit has been fluctuating. And to add to that, the shield system has currently shorted out and we need reloads on our three remaining autocannon turrets."

Perry rubbed his eyes. The list was long. Without those fusion pylons now, they wouldn't be able to push the engines past 50 percent. It was a staggering blow to the proud _Phoenix_. "Bianca, can you find us a good place for repairs? I think Tatooine and Onderon are out of the picture. Bianca placed her hand to her forehead and thought about it for a second. "There are multiple places where we can repair our ship but I've located a substantially large Republic fleet located above the planet Telos. Located in the Tingel arm of the galaxy. We can still utilize our jump engines but we'll still be reduced to half-speed." She calculated for a second. "Estimated Time to arrival is 48 hours. We are in a good position to make the jump." "Engage, Bianca." "Aye Captain, engaging jump drive."

The _Phoenix _blasted away from the trio of moons so that the gravitational forces wouldn't present a problem to the UNSC destroyer. Once in the safe zone of the Lagrange point, the Human vessel activated her hyperdrive. The _Phoenix_ sped forwards at incredible speeds, vanishing in the distance as a small white star, identical to all the others.

Once safe in Hyperspace, Captain Perry took a moment to take a look over the ship. It seemed that his bird was holding well against the strain of Hyperspace, despite the damage to the aft section of the ship. He promised a protesting Major Faustus that there would be no danger in making one more jump like this. He shut off the channel rubbing his temple. "I swear that man drives me crazy." Ensign Callows also sympathized for his Commanding Officer. "Yeah, I know sir. People tend to get on your nerves after being away from Earth like this." Perry thought of his wife, the one he left behind.

Sally Acorn cracked her eyes open. She felt liquid, so she was still probably in the kolto tank. Yes, a quick check on her nose yielded the result that the breath mask was still connected. She breathed in deep taking in the pure oxygen and ran her hands through her hair as it flowed in the fluid. She looked at the clock on the wall and squinted slightly through the fluid. It read 1130. Nice little nap. She looked around the room trying to see Chris who had promised to see her here. At last she spotted him hunched in a chair with his face not visible to her. The Princess tapped on the glass and the Captain was instantly alert. Apparently he was close to sleeping as well. Regardless, he blinked the drowsiness out of his eyes. He smiled widely.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty! Good morning!" he said with a slight drawl in his voice. Sally knew what that was; the drawl was the result of a nice long alcohol consumption period. Had Chris been drinking over her safe recovery? Wow, this guy was a bigger deal than she though. "_Hey, Captain! How long have you been there_?" Chris looked at the clock. "Oh, ever since ah, 9-ish?" Sally placed both hands on the tank wall. "_Where are we?_" "We are in Hyperspace right now. According to the little pan-pan notice, we need some repairs badly. We're heading to a planet called Telos. According to Bianca's analysis, this place is a nice little slice of the galaxy: perfectly balanced urban and rural areas, decent population…all in all, nice place to raise a family." "_I see. What was the pan-pan about?_"

Pan-pan meant an issue that wasn't immediately dangerous to the rest of the crew, such as when there was engine failure or a man went adrift. "There were a few fires in Engineering. We lost half of our engine capability and a few systems are out of whack all over the ship, including climate control. It's burning out here." Sally was suddenly glad that she was in the kolto tank and not out in the hot room. "_Well, I hope that they can fix that over at Telos_." "You and me both, Princess." The Captain changed the subject. "How are your ribs? The Lieutenant Commander said you've been coming along well." The Human could tell that she was smiling because her cheeks rose. "_Awesome. You couldn't even tell I was thrown into a wall by a Krayt Dragon._" Chris laughed.

The orderly came back into the room. She had also taken the hint about the heat and wore white tank-top and grey Medical pants standard issue for medics. Chris immediately noticed that the A-shirt was a bit too small for her but he didn't say anything. She was panting and was using her tail as a fan. She was suddenly professional when she walked up to Chris. "Captain, Sergeant Acorn is ready to come out of the tube. You can stay; it'll only take a second." Chris nodded and leaned up against the wall twirling his dog tags around. The seemingly small oval shaped pieces of metal were actually infused with data crystal, so when one scanned the tags, the wearer's entire dossier was available to read. He stared at the tags and read them as he had many times before

VENNETTILLI  
C.J., O+

A1B1JCZA1Y61

UNSC

NO PREFERENCE

The kolto began to drain from the tank. Sally's bare feet touched the ground and she sunk to her knees while the liquid went down the circular drain. The orderly said, "OK, Sally, you can take the mask off now." The princess fumbled with the buckle but she removed the mask. Sally inhaled the air deeply. She sighed in satisfaction allowing the cocktail of air, recycled and non, mixed in with the odor of kolto and the sterility of a medical facility to enter her lungs. She got to her feet shakily and watched as the tank slid upwards. "How are you feeling, Your Highness?" The orderly asked with a smile. "Better." Sally said flexing her arms, legs and taking deep breaths. "I feel like I can bench-press 300 pounds!" She turned to Chris. "Thanks for bringing me in, Captain. I think I'd be in a little more trouble if you hadn't rushed me getting here." "Uh Sally, can we put the hug on hold?" Sally was actually taken aback. "Why?" "Well, you're all wet." Sally scoffed. "Be a man, Chris. Clothes dry." She wrapped her arms around him and pulled his body close to hers, relishing his discomfort in getting him all wet. The groan was audible but soon he was hugging her back. Sally felt the human's tenderness even though he had killed numerous organics and robots with his bare hands.

They released each other after a minute or so and stepped back. Sally giggled slightly as she saw that she had wet Chris' entire front. The Captain stared at his wet clothes. "Oh great." He said seriously. "Now the guys are gonna think I had a major accident." Both the orderly and Sally laughed. The medical officer tossed them both towels. Sally began rubbing her fur dry.

"We're in Hyperspace, Chris." She said hooking her thumb out the window. "Bring me up to speed. I was playing a pickle in a jar for the past 48 hours." Chris laughed at her joke. "We've jumped away from Tatooine. We're heading to a planet called Telos. The _Phoenix_ has taken a bit of a beating over the battle of Dxun and we need a bit of repair." Sally cocked an eyebrow and one ear twitched. "It's been ten days since that little 'event'. Why did the ship decide it wanted to break down now?" Chris shrugged. "Hey, what do I know? I'm just a Marine. All I can say is that our engines are down to half power and we have no more shields to speak of." Sally cursed and wiped her thighs and rear down.

"We have a bit of good news though; Perry and Bianca have confirmed that a Republic fleet is stationed there. Whoever was after us won't dare to attack this planet." The princess stared at him for a second while toweling her legs. "What about Admiral Karath? Is he there too?" Chris shrugged. "Inasmuch as I can tell, there was no mention of him." Sally chuckled. "Great, that means his little pervert friend Carth isn't with him." Chris cracked a smile. "Can you hurry it up a little?" Sally once again looked at him but with a chiding glare. "Chris, Mobians have fur. It takes much longer to towel ourselves down than you humans do. So respectively, sir, sit down, shut up, wait, and enjoy the show."

It took the Mobian five extra minutes to dry herself down to a point where she was comfortable and another two to get full dressed. Sally clicked her belt buckle shut and slipped a T-shirt over her head. "OK, lets go." She said smoothing her hair as best she could. She was released from the medlab by the Lieutenant Commander who wished them a good day and they were in the mess hall for a bit of lunch.

Miles showed up during their meal and greeted Sally with a hug. The princess shoveled down her food at lightning speed only pausing to take a drink of a can of lemon/lime soda. "Captain, I was wondering about this Emerald of ours." Tails said leaning forward. "What if it doesn't take us back to Earth? What if it just takes us back even further into existence? We could go back as far as the Big Bang! It sounds pretty but I don't really want to experience it first-hand."

Chris said, "Relax, Tails. Listen, you have the jump coordinates for October 16th correct?" The fox nodded. "Yeah, we always date and log our jumps. Why?" "Jesus, I thought you were a genius. When we find this Blood Emerald, we simply find the planet we jumped to, search for any Chaos Emerald handshakes, and then we jump back!" Sally froze. "Whoa. How did you know that?" Chris winked. "It pays to stay awake at the seminars, toots." He raised his drink in toast. "Thank you, 5-Hour Energy Shot."

All the way across the galaxy, an approaching Republic fleet was heading to Telos. The war was over. The Republic had been victorious at Malachor V with a tremendous victory, but at a tremendous cost. Malachor V was swarming with Mandalorian Soldiers and even Mandalore himself. The Republic fought long and hard on her surface and in the skies above the planet. For a long time fighters zipped across space setting the very sky on fire, basilisk war droids and their riders ripped durasteel plating apart and pounced on unwary Republic soldiers. When all seemed to be lost, when the Republic seemed to be doomed, the Jedi General, Revan travelled aboard Mandalore's flagship, and in a one-on-one fight, Mandalore was slain at the hands of the Jedi.

But victory turned sour as the final death blow was dealt. Mere minutes after Mandalore was defeated, a device known as the Mass Shadow Generator was activated. Using intricate computations, the illusion of gravitational mass was made and physically ripped the planet apart. Thousands of Mandalorians and Republic soldiers died that day and according to the Jedi who were present for the battle described the feeling as physically crippling, a wound in the Force or something like that.

Carth Onasi was aboard one of the Republic ships bound for him home planet, Telos. Carth was present at the Battle of Malachor V as helmsman for the _Courageous_. He felt proud of himself after helping bring the Mandalorian threat to an end and save the Republic. He was only anxious to see his wife, Morgana, again and his son, Dustil. Carth did wear an expression of anger after what happened with Admiral Karath shortly after the Battle. The Republic soldier could hear it plainly in his head.

He was aboard the ship, there was much celebration following the victory, even through the activation of the Mass Shadow Generator. Admiral Karath walked up to Karth unexpectedly. "Carth, I'm glad to see you." Lieutenant Onasi smiled. "Thank you, sir. What can I do for you, Admiral?" Karath had a smile on. "Carth, would you come with me for a moment?" Onasi shrugged. "OK, sure. Whatever you say, sir."

They walked for a little while and once they were in a deserted hallway, Saul exhaled long and hard and turned towards his Lieutenant. "Lieutenant Onasi, can you answer for me this: How long have you been under my command?" Carth smiled. "Many long, happy years, sir." "Yes, and as your commanding officer, can you trust me?" _What kind of question is that?_ "Yes, of course I trust you Admiral. I'd be dead several times over if I didn't." "Good. That was the answer I expected…" he turned for a moment and thought about his choice of his next words."

"Carth, the republic is like a fine animal. It lives, it hunts, and it thrives. Like the mighty Kath hound it gets into many fights, such as this one. In such fights, the Kath hound often gets wounded, and the blood starts to flow." _What the hell was he talking about?_ "But this time, the kath hound has lost a bit too much blood." "Admiral, what are you…" "The Republic was on the losing side, Carth. We need to set our priorities in order. We need to set this matter straight and find a more powerful force for us." "Sir, if you're asking me to just give up on the Republic, then you can forget it. I made my oath and I tend to keep it." Saul Karath's smile faded away quickly.

"Carth, I urge you to reconsider. We are on the brink of being nearly invincible. We just need to reach out, and take hold of it. Come with me, Carth. I have hundreds who wish to support our cause, even the famed Jedi Revan. You can really go somewhere with us." Carth had had enough of this. "Sir, I respectfully decline your offer. Nothing, I repeat, _nothing_ would make me leave the Republic behind. Not even you, sir. You may have taught me everything I know, but this was something I learned myself."

There was silence between the tow, which was only punctured by the rumbling of the starship's engines. The snarl that Admiral Karath gave could cut the hardest of battle plating. "You're a lost cause, Onasi. I had such high expectations for you! I thought you could have made the right choice when it came, but you were weak! You had to stand with the Republic. Mark my words; you will regret this mistake you just made every day for the rest of your short life!" with that, Admiral Saul Karath turned on his heel and walked down the hallway out of sight. Carth didn't see him again.

Now here he was on the road back to his home planet, Telos. He didn't think about Karath's threats but towards the faces of his wife and child. The long tunnel of Hyperspace extended farther still. It wouldn't be long now…

The next day over a green planet, the _Phoenix_ reappeared. The ship was still in one piece despite her creaking hull. Ahead of the ship was the planet Telos, a hive of activity. All around them ships of every type were exiting hyperspace. Perry stood in front of the window. "It feels good to see a planet that isn't willing to kill us." Several of the bridge crew laughed. Lieutenant Hayes actually gave a short mew at the end. Captain Perry turned around and leaned back on the brass railing. He scrutinized his crew of assorted Humans and Mobians of both genders. "When we land on this planet, you have permission to be anywhere on its surface until repairs are complete. If anything arises, I will have Bianca contact you through your datapads. We leave ten hours after repair crews wrap it up. Enjoy your R & R, people."

"_Attention incoming vessel, this is Telos Security Force Lieutenant Dol Grenn. We request your ship's name and ID signature immediately._" Perry cleared his throat and answered in his business voice. "This is Captain Alan Perry of the UNSC _Phoenix_ Hull Registration FFG-626, our ID signatures are being uploaded to you as we speak." As he said this, Ensign Callows gave him the thumbs-up." "_Roger that, _Phoenix_, your ID signatures check out with our database records. It appears that you're on a mission for the Chancellor. He's the one that signed your flight waver form._" Lieutenant Grenn said. "Really? That was very kind of him." "_Uh…just as a formality we request that as soon as you land we get to take a look at your vessel. Just to make sure that you are who you say you are. These are tough times._" "Not at all, Lieutenant. As a matter of fact, I suggest that you _do _take a look at my ship. I have no idea what might be wrong with it." "_So you need repairs, Captain? Very well, you have permission to touch down at Vhalis-Vorkut Spaceport at pad 8. Our orbital repair stations are a little full._" "Thank you for the information, Lieutenant. Perry out."

The _Phoenix_ cruised into the atmosphere of Telos IV. The air around the destroyer turned bright orange with friction and broke many sound barriers. Soon, they were in the open, gliding down to a large city which was bustling with civilians going about their daily work. The spaceport was clearly in sight on the outskirts of the city and was marked with flashing red strobe lights. The destroyer adjusted yaw and slowly started descending towards the pad marked by the number 8. The jets slowly pushed the ship down with the aid of gravity and the landing gear deployed. The ship hit the permacrete and bounded with the suspension. The ship shut down its systems and a ramp extended from both sides.

Navy and Marines exited the ship in Warthogs. The jeeps went down the ramps and across the spaceport tarmac. Several surprised technical engineers dragged tubes and munitions towards the ship. They had absolutely no idea on what to do with this sort of thing.

The Captain drove one troop carrier jeep out of the ship. He eased up on the brakes so he wouldn't rear end the Hog in front of them. Sally bounced in her seat. "Is it just me, or do I feel heavier on this planet? I'm not gaining weight am I?!" she said with her voice straining on the last sentence. Tails laughed and leaned between the Human and the Sergeant. "No, Sally! I took an astrological scan of the planet before we set down. This planet has a diameter of 42,550 kilometers! That's more than three times the diameter of Earth!" Bunnie and Rouge laughed in the back of the Hog. "Than there must be some hunky guys on this rock!" Bunnie said smiling cheerfully. Sally opened NICOLE up. "NICOLE, are there any good places to unwind in this city?" "_Scanning. Sal, there are a total of twenty cantinas, two hundred restaurants and…one brothel…_" At this, several of the male Marines in the back sat straight up.

"Captain, might I ask why we have to wear these uniforms again?" Kaiden asked. "Explanation: You are wearing UNSC uniforms to present to the citizens that you are not Mandalorians." "But we are-" Chris snapped, "The name of the game is deception, Kaiden. We don't want them to know or else the entire Republic fleet here is going to turn their guns on _us_!" The Mandalorian and his comrades nodded in agreement. "Yes, sir."

The Warthog pulled up to a cantina where another jeep was. "_The Jaded Laigrek_" NCIOLE translated. "_Seems fairly popular in this part of town_." The Captain nodded. "Ladies and gentlemen, until this little outing is done, we are not soldiers! We are people having the night of our lives!" The Marines cheered and stepped out of the Hog.

The Captain knocked back another drink. He was an experienced drinker. During the Rainforest Wars in '32 he had drained two bottles of white vodka out of the Officers' wine cellar. He was ordered to send an artillery shell three kilometers northeast and when he fired the shot, he sent the shell twenty-two kilometers to the _left_ of his intended strike zone. The shell in question did manage to destroy a rebel motor pool there but he still got a month of KP duty.

The other Marines were also having some fun. Johnson, Ryan and Marines from another company sang drinking songs. Tails was currently engaging in a board game called dejarik with a native Telosian, and from the looks of things, he (Tails) was winning, by a longshot.

Sally was also having a drink. At 19 years old, she was barely above the drinking age. She made the most of her time and sipped exotic alien beverages. She turned to the Captain and said, "After about a few glasses they don't taste so bad, huh?" Chris smiled at her comment. It was true that he was on the verge of being hammered. That was OK; he wanted to go all the way. It had been too long since he had a drink. The droid bartended rolled over to him. "What will you be having now, Captain? Another Andolan Ale?" Chris shrugged. "I don't know, Uh…how about we have something different. Ah…that Tarisian Ale those guys are having over there. Can we have some?" The droid then said, "Captain, may I say that that is extremely powerful liquor. Even the most experienced alcoholic drinkers have difficulty staying on their feet after a single round." "Hey, I'm paying for this stuff. Gimme two glasses for me and the lady." "Of course, sir." The bartender chirped. Seconds later he returned with two glasses filled with amber liquid. "Boy, aren't you a gentleman!" Sally said picking up the glass. "_Sally, you blood/alcohol level is 0.09 percent! I advise you to stop drinking now!_" Sally chortled loudly so that other drinkers looked round at her. "Shut up, you nagging nagger!" The princess said as she downed the drink in one gulp. Chris also drained the glass.

The effect was instantaneous. At once the world became blurry. Chris fumbled and nearly fell from his seat. He knocked over some empty bottles of local beer. "_I know this wouldn't be the time to say 'I told you so but'…_" HK-24 held out his arms to steady the two Marines. "Suggestion: Might I suggest that the Master and Mistress lie down for a little while? I have no experience in alcohol intoxication but I can tell that you need a nap in." Chris blinked several times. "Spaceport's 10 klicks away, I'm not driving that far!" "Agreement: No you're not, especially with the 0.10 blood/alcohol rating you have." Sally said, "We can just get a room!"

The bartender came forward and droned, "We actually have a room available. It's for two if you're interested-" "We'll take it!" Chris said, the Tarisian ale forming the words. "Advice: Follow me, Master and Mistress. We will have you settled in no time at all."

As HK-24 guided the intoxicated pair into the turbolift, all the Marines from both companies stared at them. "Way to go, Captain!" Ryan said while taking another sip of Corellian Ale. "How does he do it?" Johnson said shaking his head with a cigar in his mouth. "Chris is an animal man." Tails said from the dejarik board with his next victim. A pile of credit coins increased steadily with each game he won. "He had a cat and apparently he got along well with it. He's a big softie when it comes to the furry creatures of the universe." Johnson raised an eyebrow. "This is Captain Christopher Vennettilli, badass at large?" Tails laughed. "One in the same, Sarge. One in the same." "Did you hear that, Marines? The Captain likes fluffy bunnies!" The soldiers roared with laughter while Bunnie finished her drink and stood up. "I'm going for a walk." She walked away angry with her metal hand clenched. "No, come back Bunnie!" A Marine said. "We didn't mean it!" "Oh come on!" "Grow a sense of humor, sweetheart!"

Ryan noticed a glimmering on the table. "Oops. Sally forgot NICOLE here." He picked up the computer and returned to his seat. "_Thank you, Corporal. It's nice to see _somebody_ has a shred of decency here! I'm also glad you aren't wasted." _"Heh, are you kidding? I'm 86ed halfway to hell!" "_Really, you don't show it!_" "Long story, my friend, long story."

Bunnie went up the turbolift where the room that the Captain and Sally were currently occupying. She needed to get away from those…those…_pigs!_ That's what they were, pigs in uniform. She walked down the hall and to her surprise HK-24 was standing outside the door. "HK-24, where's Sally and Chris, shugah?" "Answer: Why, right through this door, Bunnie Rabbot." "OK, I need to talk to Sally-girl." "Cautionary: Mistress, I don't think that would be a good idea." "Why not?" "I'd rather keep that to myself." Bunnie fumed. "You won't try to stop me though will ya, shugah?" "Answer: Not at all." She pushed past him and opened the door. It slid down and she stared right into the room. In the low light, she saw the two or some sort of combination of the two. Their bodies were intertwined and they both had their arms around each other, moving gently on the bed. Sally gave moans of satisfaction here and there while the Captain kissed her neck tenderly. "Oh my stars." Bunnie said as her ears drooped and her eyes got wide. "Oh my _STARS!_" Sally noticed her friend and stopped her movement. "_Bunnie…_!" she said shocked and embarrassed. It was too much for the rabbit to bear. With a final "Oh my stars." She fainted with a dull _thunk_. HK-24 edged her unconscious body over to one side of the hallway and said, "Advisory: Stay Calm, there is nothing to observe here."

Sally and Chris shrugged and lay back in the bed while HK-24 sealed the door to keep privacy. They both kissed passionately and wrapped their arms around each other again. "Hey Cap, I know this may just be the alcohol talking here but…I love you." Chris stroked her hair. "No, it's not the booze. I love you too, Sally." They cuddled together in their tight embrace and fell asleep there, too tired to continue their actions.

"How many is that, Tails?" Ryan said leaning up against the bar. "450 credits, Ryan! Wow! I'm getting good at this stuff. Maybe I should go pro!" Johnson laughed. "With a noggin that size I bet you could." He tapped Tails' head with his knuckles and the boy laughed. Suddenly, a group of Republic soldiers burst through the door roaring and raising their fists in victory. Several patrons also crowed along raising their glasses. "War's over! We won! Mandalore bought it at Malachor V!" the leader said triumphantly. He walked over to the bar table and said, "What do you charge war heroes here?" The droid said, "For heroes of the Mandalorian War? What the hell, these are on the house, everyone!" The cantina was in an uproar as patrons filled their glasses to the brim and downing them quickly. The UNSC Marines also didn't hesitate to sneak in a few more glasses of hooch. Everyone except Kaiden.

"Hey, what's the matter, boy?" Johnson said. Kaiden was stone-faced as well as the other two Mandalorians. "Mandalore's dead. We failed in the fight. We should have been there to partake in the battle, but we weren't. We've failed Mandalore." Rouge patted Kaiden's shoulder. "Listen here, sweetie. If you went with them you would have all been dead." Kaiden shrugged the bat's hand off him. "Better dead with honor than alive with none." Rouge sighed sadly and tilted her hands toward Johnson and Ryan in the '_I don't know_' gesture. Kaiden leaned grumpily on the bar and said to the droid, "A shot of the strongest stuff you got. Keep them coming."

It was morning before they knew it. Chris opened his eyes first and looked around. The golden sun poked through the blinds of the window. He exhaled and stretched his arms and legs. He tilted his head and saw the princess lying up against him. She was still sleeping and was dreaming. He could feel her heartbeat against his side. It was this that jogged his memory. _We didn't DO IT last night? Did we?_ Chris and Sally had slept in the same bed before, but they had never _done_ anything! A quick glance under the covers confirmed his suspicions. It was a whole new ball game now. Alcohol-induced intoxication had led to drunken sex! Yeah, the euphoric recall was setting in now. He took one look at her face though and all was forgotten. She was quite beautiful when she was sleeping. _Of all the people in the universe, why did she pick me?_ He thought in his head.

A slight change of position made her wake up. She looked up at his face and smiled slightly, her eyes not quite surrendering their glazed look yet. "Hey." She said. "Hey." The Human said back. "So, we did it last night, huh?" Chris scoffed. "I guess we did." She nudged against him with her cheek. "It was amazing." She kissed him firmly on the cheek. "Thank you." "Will you two shut _up_? I can't believe I'm hearing this from y'all." Said a muffled voice. Sally recoiled and brought the sheets up to her chin. Bunnie Rabbot was lying on a sofa with a pillow over her head. Apparently HK-24 moved her into the room. "I had to listen to whatever the hell you were doing all. Night. Long." Chris couldn't resist. "Sorry, Bunnie. We'll be sure to include you next time. She rolled her eyes under her pillow. "I think I'll pass, shugah." Suddenly, an explosion sounded. The two jumped out of the bed immediately. "Holy shit!" Bunnie said in response to the explosion and the two getting out of bed. "Put something on, please!" Chris said, "Oh yeah, pants." "Damn right, pants! Sally smooth your fur, things are showing." They all got dressed. Chris retrieved his Desert Eagle from his nightstand, inserted a magazine and cocked the gun. "Let's roll!" he shouted.

The three exited the room and entered the hall. HK-24 was still standing guard. "Greeting: Good morning, Masters. Did you enjoy your night?" "Yeah, she was heavenly." Sally beamed. "Thank you!" "Focus, people!" Bunnie reminded. Miles ran from his room, naked from the waist up. "I heard explosions!" he said while putting on a T-shirt. Several more sounded. "Yeah, I think its some sort of bombardment!"

It _was_ a bombardment. Outside the cantina, several red bolts of energy were streaking from the sky. Buildings exploded and vehicles were flipped into the air. All around the Marines were the terrible sound of people dying. Men, women and children, all their lives were ending. They entered the troop Warthog and Chris started the engine. The Marines all piled in before they accelerated away just before a large laser blasted their position. The two UNSC Warthogs carrying Marines dodged laser fire from the ships above. Other buildings and people took the hits for them. They needed to get to the spaceport. No sooner than the thought formed in their heads, Bianca came on the COM. "_Alert! All personnel of the UNSC Destroyer _Phoenix_, an orbital bombardment of unknown forces has begun engaging Telos IV. All personnel are advised to return to the _Phoenix _as soon as possible!_" Before they could make a turn, the Captain saw a figure that looked familiar. It was Lieutenant Carth Onasi! He turned the Hog in his direction "_Uh, Spaceport is the other way, Chief._" NICOLE said.

Chris exited the jeep and ran towards Carth. He was looking through the buildings shouting a name. "MORGANA!" he called over and over again. The Marines came up to him. "Lieutenant Onasi!" Chris called. "Captain Vennettilli?!" the Republic soldier said disbelievingly. "What are you doing here?" the Captain asked. "What the hell does it look like I'm doing?! I'm trying to find my damned wife! MORGANA!" He shouted again. A Republic soldier climbed from the rubble. "Lieutenant! We found her!" "How is she?" Carth demanded. The soldier shook his head. "Not good, sir." "Oh, Chaos take me!"

Carth ran over rubble and dying citizens. Nothing mattered to him as much as his wife did right now. There she was: lying on the ground with soldiers standing over her. "Morgana!" Carth called out to her. "C…Carth?" She asked blinking the soot out of her eyes and straining to hear over the constant bombardment. "I'm here, baby. I'm here." "Carth…I can't feel my legs." "Just hold on, sweetie. The medics are coming!" "I...Carth…Dustil's missing." "What?! Dustil's gone?!" his eyes grew wide with fear. "I…I couldn't find him. I don't know where he is." She coughed. "I can't hold on, Carth." Onasi was crying. "No, no! Don't leave me, Morgana!" "I'm sorry, Carth…" Her hand fell from his grasp and Morgana Onasi died. The Marines stood as they saw the man break down in anguish. Carth Onasi screamed out to the heavens as he held his wife's body. Chris removed his hat and placed it over his heart, the symbolic sign for respect. Not even the laser bombardment could interrupt this somber scene.

"Is my son dead?" He asked a solder when he had calmed down. "We're not sure, sir. None of the patrols have found Dustil's body or anything we can identify of him." He was silent for a moment. "It's not fair." He said wiping his tears. "IT'S NOT FAIR!" He was suddenly all flair. He whipped his blaster out and pointed it at the Marines. "It's all because of you! He did this because he wants your Emerald! You're the cause of all this!" "Who, Carth?" Sally said innocently. "Saul Karath! The backstabber is bombing Telos, my home into rubble all because he wants your rock! It's because of your rock that my wife is dead and my only son has gone missing!" "Carth, we didn't mean-" Chris started to say. "Just leave! Go! I've lost too much already! Get off of Telos and pray to whatever gods you have that he doesn't catch you!" Chris stared angrily at Onasi. "Let's go guys. If he wants to throw angry words at us, let him have his moment. We're leaving, Marines!" "Sir, yes sir!" they called out and drove away, leaving Carth to cradle his dead wife in his arms, gently rocking her body back and forth.

"Tails, what's wrong?" Sally said. "She didn't need to die." Prower said wiping a flow of tears. "She didn't have to get killed. We're the cause of it." Sally started to cry too. "Now don't believe anything Carth said. We're not the cause of all this. We're not." She embraced the young fox and stroked his hair in a calming manner. Chris simply gripped the steering wheel tighter. He was angry. This morning had been so happy for him. He and Sally had spent their first intimate night together and then _this_. He did feel for Carth though. He had said the exact same thing when his parents died. _It's not fair!_ He had said when the officer said that his parents were on the list of terrorist attack victims.

The _Phoenix_ was still in her berth in the spaceport. She looked repaired enough to be spaceworthy. The Warthogs were already being loaded onto the ship. A few laser blasts destroyed a few hangers about a kilometer distant. Once the jeeps were aboard the ship, she rose into the air immediately and fired her engines. The crew was forced to see the surface of Telos burn in the laser fire.

"There won't be much left after that." Lieutenant Hayes said somberly. "The entire ecosystem will be ruined. It'll take years for it to recover." "We can't do anything about it now." Perry said. "Prepare to jump out of system. We need to get the rest of this map decoded."

Nearby aboard one of the cruisers laying waste to Telos' surface, newly appointed Admiral of the Sith Navy Saul Karath watched the destruction of the planet Telos. Yes it was mainly a revenge act because Carth had refused to join him but mainly it was to get his hands on the Emerald. Now he knew the UNSC weren't stupid enough to remain on this planet so they would try to escape. Any time now.

"Admiral, we have contact with a ship leaving the surface. Shall I call up the image?" A helmsman reported. "Yes, show me a hologram." A holographic view of the _Phoenix_ came into view. It was exactly as Karath remembered it. "That's the one. That's the ship. Get me it. Preferably uncompromised if at all possible." "Yes, Admiral, setting course to overtake the _Phoenix_." Saul Karath couldn't help but let a self satisfied grin slip through. "We'll have that Emerald in our hands soon enough, my lord." From behind him, the cold, metallic voice of his master called out. "Your actions today have pleased me, Admiral Karath. I look forward to meeting our new friends. Pray that they do hold the information we seek." "I am certain that once we have the Emerald, we can boost the Star Forge's yield a hundredfold!" "Very well. Bring them to me, Admiral. You are dismissed." Karath bowed his head. "As you desire, my lord Malak.


	13. Chapter 12: Taken Prisoner

Chapter 12: Taken Prisoner

November 3rd, 3235, 1021 hours

UNSC _Phoenix_ (DDG-626)

Outbound from Telos IV

They just needed to get away from this place. The destroyer went as fast as her engines could take her through space. Since the planet had been attacked impromptu, the techs hadn't been able to render the _Phoenix _100 percent repaired. The engines were repaired to about ¾ of their original power output but not much more than that. Shields were repaired to a measly 25 percent output, the hull breaches were patched up with durasteel plating, the autocannons were refilled with some of the native projectile ammunition which was technically not chambered for the human autocannons. In addition to the reloads, the Telos technicians must have though the _Phoenix_ was underarmed. Multiple missile pods were placed and welded in strategic locations around the ship. Each pod held a large number tiny but high-yield torpedo. In the course of almost a day, the Earth destroyer was about as powerful as a Halcyon-Class cruiser, once one put armor and shields in the mix.

The surface of the planet was visibly burning. Saul Karath's fleet was doing a number on it. Behind the retreating ship, millions of citizens were dying from the laser bombardment. Those left behind would be victim of the coming corrosive atmosphere that would engulf the planet. Captain Alan Perry felt so bad about not turning back that he almost felt like throwing himself headfirst out the airlock.

He was glad to see that some people were trying to get away. According to Gerard Briggs' scan of the area, there were hundreds of shuttles outbound from Telos, each with hundreds of citizens on them. Why wasn't Karath's task force attacking them? "Legacy." He whispered, barely audible. However, Lieutenant Hayes was able to pick it up with her ears and asked, "Excuse me, sir?" Perry was surprised for a moment that the Mobian had heard the whisper. "Legacy, Lieutenant. Saul Karath left these people behind to go and spread this…this…experience of _atrocity_ to the galaxy! He left them alive so that people will _fear_ him!"

Callows spun his chair around. "Sir, if that's true, why didn't Admiral Karath attack Coruscant instead? Then he would be like…emperor or something." Perry shook his head. Bianca took the liberty of answering the Ensign's question. "Coruscant is well guarded, Ensign. I remember detecting defense platforms in orbit around the planet, much like our Super MAC Defense stations in orbit over Earth and Mobius. With a task force of approximately 12 ships, I doubt that the Admiral would want to attack the capital of the Republic with only a dozen ships." Lieutenant Hayes chimed in. "Yes Bianca but I was detecting cruisers that were in excess of 1200 meters in length. That's about the size of a Halcyon." Bianca folded her arms in annoyance. "I stand by my opinion, _Lieutenant_." The feline anthro shut her mouth.

There was something that was nagging Captain Perry. The thought was pestering him like a mosquito desperately trying to suck his blood. If Saul Karath wanted to attack Telos, it would have to have been for a reason. People like him didn't just crack, defect and attack innocent planets out of the blue. He was tapping his chin thoughtfully when he noticed his own index finger. He was pointing to himself.

_It's_ _us_!

His eyes went wide. "Oh dear Lord." He said. The Mobian sensed his discomfort. "What's wrong, sir?" Perry didn't answer, he was frozen solid, his hands grasping the brass railing so hard he thought he would crush it like aluminum. "How soon can the jump engines activate?" Calvin Briggs checked the report from Engineering. "Three minutes." "Tell Major Faustus to put his ass into it! I wanted to be out of here sixty seconds ago!" The younger Briggs twin sensed the fear in his CO's voice. "Aye aye, Captain." He said and sent the report. Perry sat in his command chair and gripped the arms with apprehension.

"Sir, Faustus is reporting full activity with the hyperdrive!" "Briggs, get us out of here!" Calvin looked at him. "Where, sir?" Perry met the young man's eyes and seriously said, "Anywhere." Briggs gulped and spun back around. Gerard was attracted to the radar for a moment. "Got contacts, Captain: three cruisers moving in on our position at flank speed!" "Get us out of here!" The Navy Captain said. "I'm trying! I'm trying!" Calvin said tapping in the commands. Sweat was forming on his face. Suddenly the computer panel blew out spraying sparks all over the surprised Navy officer. The deafening bang made everyone in the room recoil. "What the hell just happened?" Perry said wide-eyed. Bianca popped up on the holotank. "Captain! I'm detecting high gravity wells! The computers are not letting us jump!" Perry froze. Interdictors. Humanity had been using the tactic for centuries. The process worked by spoofing the computers on a Human or Covenant ship into believing that they were dangerously close to a gravity well. Once here, the ship was an easy target. That's what Karath was up to. "Bianca, sound General Quarters."

Captain Chris Vennettilli sat on his bunk with his face in his hands. He had never, _never_ seen that much death before in one place. It was all too much for this one man to bear. When millions of people were snuffed out all around you, you tend to notice. When a man loses his wife right in front of you, you tend to notice! This place horrified him. It left him with a cold, scared feeling. Was _this_ what Humanity might become; these monsters that kill planets, men, women, and _children_? He wanted to go home. He missed his parents who had been dead for over five years. He wasn't in solitude in his bunk, but he cried.

Generally a commanding officer crying in front of his men was bad news. It had shown that the combat had gotten to him. For these men it was different. Sally sat beside him. She wasn't embarrassed that he was troubled; in fact it made her love him even more. Sonic _never_ cried in front of her. She glanced across at Tails who was in his bed, curled up and his tails wrapped around him. He was crying for his mother. Who was she trying to fool? She hugged Chris tenderly and cried into his shoulder. The Captain noticed and stroked her hair. Even Tails was looking for comforting and the human didn't disappoint him and gave the fox a good reassuring hug.

"All those people…! T…Th…They're all _dead_!" he cried. "Hey, calm down, big guy. It's going to be alright…" Chris whispered, but he just couldn't _stop_! A tear for each citizen of Telos fell from his eyes and onto the floor which splashed and shattered, never to be rebuilt.

In the other bunk rooms, the effect was similar. Sergeant Johnson didn't light a cigar but took out a rosary and started praying. Rouge the Bat was in the Ryan's arms gasping and not trying to hold back the tears. Her eye shadow was starting to run and her eyes got all puffy. Ryan rubbed her hair soothingly. "It's OK, Rouge. You're safe." Rouge hiccoughed. "Ryan…Thank you." Bunnie had taken out a harmonica that her mother gave her and blew a sad tune. Crystal clear tears slid down her cheeks but she never broke the tune of her music. Johnson finished his prayer and made the sign of the Holy Trinity. "Bunnie, that's beautiful." The Mobian rabbit smiled sadly. "Thanks, Sarge." She said and returned to her somber song.

Claire was sitting in her room, the lights dimmed and a single incest candle was lit. Strictly non-regulation as usual but today of all days her Company Commander couldn't care. Her bunkmates sat around the candle thinking about the citizens who had gone to another plane of existence.

Captain Banks and his men were in the mess hall slowly drinking to the citizens of Telos. Tyrell held a bottle up in the air stating that the citizens would be avenged even if he had to die doing it. "To Telos." He said powerfully. The ODSTs raised theirs as well and shouted along, "To Telos!"

Kaiden and his men were also sitting in their rooms. It was a Mandalorian tradition to meditate on the death of innocent civilians. Mandalorians were expected to do their duty and fight regardless of attackers. Those who could not fight should not be on the battlefield. But this, oh…this was something different. It was cowardly, it was unprovoked. It was just _wrong_.

Tails lay on his bunk slowly crying himself to sleep. Chris and Sally were still embraced kissing each other. Tears were still flowing but one was the only thing that could keep the other happy. "You know princess, ever since Telos, I think we should have a redo on our little experience. I want to be sober this time too." Sally's eyes sparkled. She nodded. "Yeah. Me too." Suddenly, she was on him grabbing his shoulders and forcing him back on the bed. She was getting close to him. Sally thought happily that this relationship was going to get on to a wonderful start. She thought of the wonderful nights they would have together. She thought happily that they would eventually leave the military with the blessing of her father; they would be married and have children, oh she was starting to pick out names already. By this time their lips met. Only one more step now…

The alarm sounded at the worst possible moment. Sally's eyes grew wide and she reeled back. _No. Not now!_ She thought sadly and slipped off him. Chris edged himself up and saw her sulky posture. Tails woke up so fast that he hit his head on the same girder Chris did. "Mother FUCK!" Tails said and instantly covered his mouth.

"_General Quarters! All hands, the ship are being approached by enemy forces. Marines on all decks are to report to the armories. Stand by to repel boarders. Pilots, report to your vehicles._"

Lieutenant Wallace Veers ran down the hall with the rest of his wing behind him. Three Humans, four Mobians they shoved aside Navy techs and lower ranking Marines. They had a job to do now. "_Attention: Radar confirms three enemy contacts. Enemy interdictor cruisers approximately 600 meters are 10,000 kilometers distant_. _Good Luck, Bianca out_."

"Move it, move it!" Veers shouted running into the _Phoenix_'s launch bay. His techs had prepped his F-29 Hellcat for immediate launch. Veers slipped into the cockpit and made the canopy close over his head. He put on his helmet and sealed it. The HUD automatically started up. And a blast shield rose behind him. "_All pilots: start your engines_." The Flight Control Officer said.

Veers put the throttle down on his bird. The clamps kept the plane in place but the engines were bellowing trails of fire that were intercepted by the heat shield. The marshal was currently waiting for the order for Veers to take off. "You boys ready for this?" Veers said over the radio. "Always ready, sir." A female Mobian said laughing. "Check in, check check. Viper Lead Active." Veers said. "Adder is active." The female Mobian said. "Asp is ready to rock and roll!" "Rattlesnake ready to bite!" "Python is a go." "Boa is a go-a" "Basilisk is ready, baby!" "Sidewinder's gonna get ya!" Veers smiled. "Snake Squadron, lets slither!" The green light sounded and the clamps released. Seven F-29 Hellcats screamed out of the bays into space.

The Hellcats banked in space, Telos' star reflecting on their bodies. The _Phoenix_ turned into a small speck in mere seconds. "All Snakes: form up on me." Veers commanded. Seven 'Roger's came from the squadron. The Hellcats arced over the destroyer and rolled until they were level with each other. Saul's fleet was coming at them at full speed. "_Snake Squadron this is Big Bird. You have our support on this one, over._" Two C710 Longsword Interceptors sped over the strike fighters and took a comfortable lead. "_Radar confirms twenty enemy fighters, Lieutenant_." Adder "Let's take care of them the way we practiced guys." Veers opened throttle and sped forward through space.

The fighters that sped towards them were Sith Interceptors. They were small, inexpensive, fast, and otherwise flimsy fightercraft. Holographic representations of the ships appeared in the cockpits of the UNSC jets. "_Targets located_." The computer chimed. "OK Snaked, break and assume Broken Delta formation." Seven blue acknowledgement lights winked in his HUD and the ships dispersed.

The interceptors were only fifty kilometers distant now. "Pick targets and fire at will." It happened with lightning speed. The squadron broke formation and scrambled on random vectors, confusing the enemy pilots. The Longswords melted out of the night and sprayed the hostile fighters with 120mm rounds from the rotary cannons. A few interceptors were blown away from the guns and the rest broke contact.

"Hit 'em where it hurts, Snakes!" Veers commanded. "_Hell yeah!_" Basilisk crowed. The majority of the interceptors were unorganized. That made them all the more vulnerable to the jets. Viper Lead followed one who as panicking, trying to get away from him. The Lieutenant had an evil smile on as he tracked the alien ship with his crosshair. The lock alert sounded and Veers sent a missile right into the rear of the fighter. It exploded and the Hellcat flew through the field of debris.

Satisfied with his results, he spun his Hellcat around 180 degrees and blasted another enemy fighter with his main guns. Veers slammed the throttle down to counter his inertia and rejoined the fight.

Big Bird and Little Chick-the call signs for the Longswords-were skimming the surface of the interdictor cruisers. They were so close to the hull that their reflection in the hull was plainly visible. The pilots flipped the fighters until they were perpendicular to the hull. Their speed carried them forward while they shot with their guns and missiles. They had no affect though and glanced off the glowing shield. Dismayed, both pilots adjusted their birds and flew out of the range of the cannons. "Big Bird to _Phoenix_, do you read us?" There was static for a half second as the message bounced off the destroyer's dish.

"_Phoenix_ here, Big Bird. What's the problem?" "Our weapons aren't having any affect on these cruisers. They have their shields up." There was more static. "Copy that, Big Bird. Let's see them block this." There was suddenly a bright light from the _Phoenix_. She had fired her MAC guns and before the Longswords could travel ten more meters, the rounds sliced the ship in two right between the claw-like prongs. There were explosions all around the hull as the pieces drifted apart. She tried to restart her engines but it was no good. Another volley of MAC rounds destroyed the bridge and the dead ship floated in pieces. "Thanks for the help, _Phoenix_." "_Any time, Big Bird. Be advised, Saul's not going to fall for the same trick again. Those cruisers are on the move now!_"

It was true. The two interdictors had stopped playing and recognized the _Phoenix_ as an actual threat now. If they didn't do something, they would be space dust inside of ten minutes. Eleven tops.

Saul Karath stood on the bridge with Darth Malak beside him. Karath couldn't help but feel the coldness of death when he was beside the Sith Lord. He could even feel his disappointment when an Interdictor-Class cruiser exploded. "Admiral. I was aware that these humans were quote "Unable to stand against anything the Sith will throw at them." Enquote." Saul swallowed. He was well aware that once the Dark Lord got angry, people were known to disappear from the galaxy forever. They never existed. "No, my lord. This is simply a snag in our plan. We can overrun the ship with our forces." Malak stared at the Admiral. His metallic faceplate was level with his forehead. "I sense the fear within you, Admiral Karath. There is _much_ fear within you. Do not fail me with this task. You are well aware of the penalty if you fail."

To make his point, Malak seized up the power of the Dark Side to grab an unfortunate soldier, lift him up in the air, and toss him screaming across the bridge with the force of a missile into the bulkhead. Saul flinched as he heard the crushing of bones and guts. The body slid down the bulkhead trailing blood. Two security guards removed the twisted, bleeding body from the bridge. After a few moments of silence, Saul's concentration was spurred by a UNSC Hellcat shooting at the shield near the bridge. "We can take control of the ship, Lord Malak. They will not be able to hold against our men." Malak nodded. His synthesized voice reverberated in the room. "That is a sound choice on your part, Admiral. Proceed with the plan."

Veers and his squadron regrouped. Snake Squadron was wiping the sky with their machine guns and missiles. Interceptors burst into short-lived flames thanks to the more-organized UNSC ships. The Lieutenant saw a flash in his peripheral vision. He turned his head to see what just combusted. An Interdictor cruiser had just split in two and the pieces spun in space. "_Damn!_" Asp said with an air of surprise. "_Did they just kill that thing?_" "_Roger, Asp._" Boa responded. "_She blows up nice. You could call it art._" "_Right._" Python said rolling her eyes on her end. "_'Scuse me Picasso, I'll let you get to work on that canvas_."

Boa chimed in. He had some activity on his radar. "_Viper Lead, I'm detecting enemy craft approaching approximately 200 kilometers distant coming from the flagship. Estimated twenty meters in length. Roughly cylindrical shaped, sir_." "Shit! Boarding craft! How many are there, Sergeant?" "_Estimated seven craft, sir_."

Veers opened up squad channel. "Listen up, ladies and gentlemen. We have detected boarding craft approaching our ticket home. All ships move in and destroy those craft. Big Bird? Mind bringing the Chick along for some hunting?" "_Reading that five by five, Viper Lead. We'll be over for dinner in no time_." Veers turned his beast around and locked onto his nearest target. Bingo, only 1.31 klicks away. He opened fire on it, chipping away at whatever shields the boat possessed. Soon, it was nothing but scrap metal.

"Lieutenant, I've got one on my tail! I can't shake him!" Sidewinder called in distress. The Mobian pilot tried to make peace with his controls but the fighter still had a lock on him. Laser blasts went by him only skimming close to the canopy. He was flash blinded for a second and tried strafing. It was still no good. "Oh, I'm sorry, Helen." Sidewinder said.

The interceptor scored a lucky hit. The laser impacted right between his canards. Systems went haywire and spun Sidewinder's ship out of control. He tried activating maneuvering thrusters but it only made the problem worse. He took a deep breath and tried with all his earthly might to bring his ship straight. He was hit again, this time it was unavoidable. His radar screamed red. "Oh fuck me."

Sidewinder's F-29 impacted on a boarding craft at nearly 2700 KPH. Both of them exploded in a bright fireball which seemed to outshine Telos' star. "NO!" Asp yelled. It was too late. Nobody, Human or Mobian could survive an impact at that speed. A blue representation of Sidewinder's F-29 went dark. "Fuck. He's gone." Veers said somberly. The surviving Snakes tried to regroup and destroy the other remaining ships. "_Just…one…more…_" Python said, but then the Interdictor cruiser shot him with a turbo laser. "AAAAGGGHH" he screamed before the channel went static. "No, no, no!" Veers said. The computer said, "_Ammunition depleted_." "Fall back! Retreat! We're outnumbered!" More fighters came from the ships hunting down whatever was left. Little Chick was gunned down and she spun into an Interdictor's hull. The explosion didn't even damage the ship. "Why isn't the _Phoenix _firing?" Veers demanded. "_Sir, the fire control center was damaged by laser blasts. MAC guns are out of commission!_" Asp said frantically. "We can't get that boarding craft now! Fall back to the hanger!"

The surviving Hellcats formed up and tried to make their way to the hanger. They almost did it completely except when a solid wall of fighters shot enough lasers to walk on. Basilisk was hit and he crashed into the prong of the _Phoenix_. The shield dissipated the energy but Basilisk was gone. Snake Squadron was down to half hands but the rest managed to get to safety within the launch bays.

The Marines aboard their ship grabbed an assortment of weapons from the armory. Captain Vennettilli supervised the distribution. "OK, let's pack it in, guys! I want every man and woman armed in two minutes!" "_Warning, boarding craft are inbound. Teams Victor and November reinforce the starboard lifepod entrances._" Bianca blared. "MOVE IT, MOVE IT, GO, GO!" Chris said running out the door with his men. The UNSC Marines ran up stairs charging weapons and flipping off safeties.

"_Alert, hostile boarding craft has attached on Deck 2_." Chris groaned. That's where his team was. They looked back at their leader." "Captain…?" Johnson asked. Chris gathered his strength. It was hero time. "You heard the lady Marines! Deck 2, let's move it! No ass slacks behind!"

The Marines made their way towards the lifeboat bays. Sally and Bunnie grabbed a weapon locker and threw it on the ground. They both took up crouching positions behind the locker and sighted their weapons, Bunnie transformed her arm. The rest of the marines stood ready to fight. November Company took up position behind the next corner. The Marines heard sounds from the other side of the bulkhead. "Everyone ready?" Chris asked, sweating. "Answer: Always ready Master." The way the droid said it, the bite! It was almost reassuring.

There was little time to dwell on it. The door exploded outward and several armed figures rushed in. They immediately opened fire on the Sith soldiers. Bullets peppered the men and blood sprayed the walls. The enemy soldiers actually seemed to panic which suited the Marines just fine. That was until there was a _snap-hiss_ from within the pod. It made the Marines and Sith hold their fire for a second. "What in the fuck was that?" A Marine from November Company said stepping forward.

A black robed figure leaped out of the pod with a red sword of pure energy. He stabbed the soldier through the chest and kicked his chest. The Marine screamed in pain and died. The Marines of November Company opened fire, but the robed figure dodged all of them. It ran along the walls and diced several members of the company. The guys froze in fright. "What the hell is that?" Sally said with her mouth hanging open. Tails stared at the robed figure causing carnage. "It's a Dark Jedi!"

The butchery was done. The Jedi turned around and stared at the Marines with red rimmed eyes. Chris didn't bother saying hello. A single three round burst killed the man before he could move. A fountain of blood splashed the ceiling. Tails squirmed but calmed down. More Sith streamed out of the boarding craft. "There's too many of them!" Johnson said. "Fall back!" Chris ordered. The Marines fearfully ran the way they came.

"_Attention, decks 2, 5, 7, and 8 have been compromised. All teams are to pull back to secondary defense positions_." More thumps echoed in the plating. "There's still more!" Bunnie said running as fast as her legs could carry. Another squad of Sith ambushed them. "That's them! Stun them!" The commander ordered. Without question, all of the Marines were shot but fell down unconscious. "Get them back to the _Leviathan_. Tell Admiral Karath we have the prisoners and he can zap this ship. I want that fighter in the launch bay too." His subordinate saluted. "Yes, Captain."

The battle was lost. The Marines were loaded onto the attack craft and it blasted away from the _Phoenix_'s hull. The _Leviathan _shot the _Phoenix_ with a low level laser. The ship's engines shorted out and she listed to port. The craft sped back towards their home vessel away from the weak UNSC vessel. She was drifting, unable to do anything.

"Report!" Perry said in his chair. Lights went out all over the ship and emergency lamps flickered on bathing the room in soft light. "All decks reporting low power. Gravity and life support are just barely holding on." Gerard Briggs said. "Emily, how are we holding up?" The Mobian feline had a broken nose and a bloody lip. "MAC guns are down and out. Proton Torpedoes are not responding at all. Autocannon 4 destroyed. Sir, I think they're leaving!" Perry rubbed his hurting head. "I think they are! Why?" Hayes half-smiled. "Legacy, sir."

Perry grumbled, "How men did we lose?" Callows looked at his monitor. "Body count is still coming in but it's currently at 149 dead, 28 injured." "My God." Perry said taking off his cap. "Callows send out a distress signal to anybody out there. Do we have thrusters?" Calvin Briggs responded. "Negatory sir, at least for the moment. Bianca and Faustus are trying to get it back online." Perry sat back and tried to take this all in. He wanted to go home.

The Marines woke up on cold metal flooring. "My Lord, it seems that they're coming to." Chris was the first to raise his head. Saul Karath was staring straight at him in a kneeling position. "Good Afternoon, Captain." He said slapping his cheek. Chris looked at the man who betrayed the Republic he served. "Good afternoon you psycho." Chris snarled. Ryan came to next. "What's going-" Then he was slammed into the ground by someone's boot. "Sergeant, such conduct is not necessary." "As you wish, Admiral."

An invisible force gripped Chris and dragged him upwards into a standing position. "Now now, my boy. Stand up straight now." A cold, artificial voice said. "That's better. Now, I wish to speak with you." The voice said. Chris looked up at the man. He recoiled in terror. It was a man who was bald, had blue tattoos on his head and had a metal plate on his jaw. "My Lord, the effects of the stun blasters probably hasn't worn off yet." "I'm fine you worm." The Dark Lord Malak laughed. "Such gall. I like that in a person." Malak saw that Sally was trying to get up. He picked her up with his mind and placed her right next to Chris. "I sense a bond between you. Ah, it is love I feel, the most powerful force in the universe." Karath coughed purposely, but Malak ignored it. "Such a bond between those of different races, you are truly against social standards. As my admiral is trying to tell me, you have information that I want." "You're not getting that map, Saul." Chris said angrily. Karath nodded and the butt of a rifle slammed into the back of Chris' head. He felt his spine separate from his skull. Sally gasped but Malak instead kneeled down and placed his hand on Chris' neck. Chris felt the bones painfully reattach. It felt wrong.

"Admiral, this man is our guest and he shall be treated like one. My boy, I am trying to make this as comfortable as possible. Can you please tell us the location of the Emerald?" Malak said. Tails was regaining consciousness. "We don't have it! We never completed it the map!"

"LIARS!" Saul shouted. "YOU'VE BEEN ALL OVER THE GALAXY! HOW DARE YOU LIE TO ME?" Malak interjected, "ADMIRAL KARATH!" and gripped thin air. Saul rose into the air a few inches and grasped his throat. "You will speak only when told to! I will not stand for this!" "My Lord…Forgive me…" He was set down and he rubbed his throat.

Malak looked straight into Chris' eyes. There was no doubt in them. "You speak the truth, Captain." He thundered. The forced softness in his voice toned into something different, something evil. "Give us the map, now!" "I don't have it!" Chris said. This time it was he who was lifted into the air. Malak's eyes were contorted in anger and lightning seemed to flow from him. The Captain gripped his throat and made horrible gargling sounds. The corners of his vision turned black. He needed Oxygen.... "Put him down!" Sally cried. "Please! He's telling the truth!"

Malak slammed Chris into the deck plating. The human sobbed in pain as blood pooled around him. Sally knelt down and comforted him. Then something caught the Dark Lord's attention. "My Lord, on the female's leg!" Malak grabbed her with the Force and flipped her upside down. Sally's vest slipped off and her shirt covered her face. "What the hell are you doing?" Karath plucked NICOLE from Sally's leg holster. "No, NICOLE!"

Karath flipped the cover up in anticipation. "How to activate?" He wondered aloud. "_There's no need, Karath, I'm already listening._" NICOLE said this with a bite. Saul almost dropped the computer in surprise. "Oh my." "_Damn straight, 'oh my' you son of a bitch!_" Malak laughed. "How very embarrassing, Admiral." Karath blushed and tried pressing a few random buttons. "_Oh, that tickles, but it does nothing_." "SHOW ME THE MAP!" the Sith Admiral yelled. A little vein on his head started to pulse. "_Certainly, if you're on my list of registered users. Unfortunately, I don't think you are. Sorry Saul!_"

Karath almost lost it and threw NICOLE across the hall. Sally screamed, "NO!" and Malak reached his arm out. The personal computer stopped in mid-air and slowly made its way it the Dark Lord's hands. "Do you know who I am, computer?" "_Certainly. You are Malak __Squinquargesimus of the planet Quelii. You were once the great Jedi General and padawan of Revan. But you turned to the dark side-_" "Enough!" Malak said curtly. Smoke began to rise from NICOLE. Her hologram sprang out and grew to life size. She was Malak's size. He looked into her eyes so close the Dark Lord could see the strings of Binary code. "I am no longer that man. Malak Squinquargesimus was weak. I am strong." NICOLE shuddered as bits of her scrambled in the pure dark side of the force. "You're a traitor, you ignorant, pompous, mother _fucker_." Malak's eyebrows furrowed and if he had a mouth, he would have snarled. "Don't hurt her!" Sally shouted while a Sith trooper aimed a blaster rifle at the back of her head.

Malak deactivate the hologram and handed NICOLE to a technician while keeping his eyes locked on Sally. "Take her away, pry her open. I want that map. If she dies, we use them." Johnson rubbed his head. "Wait, you're gonna dig into our minds and scrape out the info?" Malak laughed evilly. "Don't tempt me." The Sergeant shut up.

"My lord Malak, what do we do about the prisoners then?" Malak didn't even consider it. "Lock them up, and then bring them in for individual interrogation. Perhaps we can turn them to the cause." Malak then froze. He stared at Tails. "Ahhh…What is your name, my boy?" Miles drew himself up to full height, which was around 5 feet. "My name is Miles Amadeus Prower, Petty Officer Second Class of the UNSC Navy." Malak was back to evil charm. "My dear boy, I sense the Force within you. It is a powerful call, one which must be satisfied at some point in life. It is the power that one can use to vanquish their enemies." It was tempting. Miles bit his lip in thought but broke off when he remembered who he was dealing with. "Not interested, milord." "You disappoint me." He said reaching out his hands and zapping him with Sith Lightning.

The blue bolts made contact with Miles' skin and shot up his spinal cord. Nearly every neuron in Tails' brain lit up and his eyes shone for a few seconds. He screamed so loud that it probably could have broken glass. Chris closed his eyes and tried to look away, but the gun barrel at the back of his head prevented him. Rouge hid her head in Ryan's shoulder and Sally could only stare in shock. Tears of pain shot from Miles' ducts but flash-vaporized instantly. Malak thought he sent enough energy through the young Mobian's body and let him fall. Tails was twitching as the current still stayed in his nervous system. Sobs of pain and longing for his parents were still clear. The Sith troopers didn't even show emotion.

"Take them away." Malak curtly said and turned around, facing Hyperspace. Saul Karath still faced the Marines. He stepped closer to Chris and whispered into his ear, "I'm going to make you wish you've never been born. You will _beg_ for death when I'm done with you." A vein pulsed in Chris' neck. "Listen here you old man, I'm going to stick a knife so far up your ass it'll-" The Sith Sergeant tapped Chris with a stun baton and dragged him away. "Come on, hero. Time for you to see your new room." The Sergeant said laughing.

Prisoners. That's what they were: prisoners. They were locked up like filthy degenerates who were menaces to society. The prison block on the _Leviathan_ was large enough to hold all of the Marines in one cell. They were stripped of all weapons and armor but were allowed to keep their T-shirts and pants. Johnson was allowed to keep his cigars and cap, but all guns had to be surrendered. Bunnie had an inhibitor on her arm that prevented it from being transformed into its cannon form.

Captain Vennettilli was sitting in a corner rubbing the burn where the guard had stunned him. Sally was checking his neck out. "You'll be fine. Your skin cells should regenerate the lost tissue in a week. Until then, I suggest that you don't touch it or it'll get irritated." Vennettilli smiled. "Thanks, Sal." Sally smiled. "Aren't you upset?" Chris asked. "Yeah, I'm upset. I want to cry, I really want to. The problem is that the reservoir's gone dry." "No kidding?" Sally leaned forward and looked at Chris. "Captain, if anybody needs to cry, its Tails. Look at him!" Miles was lying on a bunk. Bunnie and Rouge were sitting next to him rubbing his hair and his hands. Rouge actually leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Tails feebly stirred and crossed his legs.

"What a trooper, taking that lightning like a man." Chris said. "Yeah, You were almost choked, Chris." "If anybody deserves a medal here today, it's Tails." Sally scoffed and placed a hand around his shoulder. "Are you trying to get me into the mood?" "Can you blame a man for trying?" Sally laughed. "No, I guess I can't. Normally you get _out_ of prison first before you do that sort of thing." The Captain sighed and said, "Well, I don't know if we're gonna get out of this can any time soon." Sally whispered, "We'll see about that later."

Chris then called everyone to order and made sure the guard was doing his rounds. "Everyone, Saul Karath has imprisoned us on this ship. We are powerless or so he thinks. I, being your esteemed leader and the one who cares most about all of you am going to get you out of this prison, off this ship, and into the clear where we can look for the _Phoenix_." Ryan said, "How are you going to do that, Captain?" Chris shrugged. "To be honest Percy, I don't know. Give me a few days and I will think of something. I promise."


	14. Chapter 13: Escape

Chapter 13: Escape

November 5th, 3235, 1530 hours

The _Leviathan_

Hyperspace

The UNSC Marines sat in their cell staring at the floor. It had been two days since they were locked away in here awaiting the inevitable torture that Darth Malak or his crony Karath would bestow upon them. Of the entire group, the Humans were the ones who were dealing with this incarceration the best. It was 48 hours and Tails was already reduced to a curled up little ball who rocked himself back and forth and muttered long strings of words spoken too fast to comprehend. His tails were alive with energy like pair of eels was attached to his rear. Johnson leaned up against the wall taking another drag on his cigar. Across the hall, a rodian and a twi'lek were in the same cell. The rodian was screaming words in his own language out into the hall. The twi'lek was lying on his bed. He obviously knew what he was saying and complained in English, "Shut up!"

The rodian kept on jabbering, hammering the walls like a trapped rat. "I said shut up you little schutta!" the twi'lek yelled again. The rodian simply didn't take the hint. Angered the twi'lek stood up, grabbed the rodian by his shoulders and slammed him into the ground so hard the Marines could hear the crack of bones all the way across the hall. "You feel like shutting up now?!" The alien inmate asked. He slammed his boot onto the rodian's back. "Hey, HEY!" a guard screamed. Two ran in, one with a blaster, the other unarmed. "Get that rodian out of here." The superior said. The green-skinned alien was protesting as he was dragged away. He screamed, "NOOOO!!!!" As he was dragged out of the room. "What went on here?" the guard asked. The twi'lek shrugged, "He pulled a shiv on me, boss." the Sith trooper cocked his head. "Is that so?" "Straight up." "Well, thank you for telling us that. We'll make sure he gets what he has coming to him."

"Can I get an appeal sooner or later?" The commander laughed. "Later. You're still prisoner on the _Leviathan_ until then." He laughed as he turned his back. "Go to hell." The twi'lek said and muttered a curse in Rylothese. The commander walked towards the Marines' cell.

"Well, well, well. Good afternoon and welcome to day three of our cruise. I trust everyone had a good night's rest?" the Marines groaned and Sally flipped the guard off. The guard ignored the gesture. "Very good! Don't get too comfy. Lord Malak says that he may want to start the interrogations today. He's been far too generous to put it off until now. You are going to be in so much pain, you'll be crying for mother inside of two minutes!"

Captain Vennettilli stood up and walked towards the guard. The Human couldn't see the commander's face but due to the cocking of his helmet, he was amused. "Have I perhaps touched a nerve, momma's boy?" He laughed for a second and caught his breath. Then he lowered his voice to a near whisper, but it was still amplified by the helmet's speakers. "I bet you'd like to hit me right now wouldn't you? Gimme a little sock in the face?" The Captain stood angrily and snarled dangerously. "Why certainly. Let me have it! Oh but what's this? There appears to be a ray shield over your door. You place your hand on it and you get vaporized!" he laughed again and turned to walk away. "See you at the torture!"

Chris exhaled explosively through his nose. "I _HATE_ that guy!" he said pointing a shaking finger at him. "For three days since we got on this tub he's been giving me nothing but shit! I swear if I get my hands on him…" Johnson placed a calm hand on his shoulder. "I know, Cap. I wanna get that son of a bitch as much as you do, but let it go for now. We need to figure out a way to get out of here."

Bunnie was lying on the floor propping her head up with her arms. "Speaking of which, shuagh, have you figured out a way to spring us?" Chris scratched his head. "I've had plenty of theories but none of them are concrete. Lots of holes in them. For instance, we need to know the layout of the ship before we can even find a way out of here." Sally brought her knees to her face, and folded her arms. "Yeah, and the only way we can figure that out is if we have NICOLE."

It was another before Chris got an idea but the inspiration was sick. The man in the next room was called out by the guards. "What?! But I told you I don't know anything! I'm not with the Republic!" the Sith troopers laughed evilly. "Yeah, sure. The security tapes say different. Lord Malak wants the information you have. Come with us Republic scum!" "NO I'M INNOCENT! PLEASE, MERCY!" "Don't make me come in there!" the commander threatened. He deactivated the forcefield and dragged the man screaming down the hall.

"That poor man!" Rouge said lying on the bed. "I really think he didn't know why he was here!" Ryan exhaled sadly. "These days Rouge, I really don't know what people will believe." "I can't stand it! I've been in this fucking can for three days, I barely get food, I don't have any cosmetics, and above all, I can't take a shower!"

"You just have to get used to it, sweetheart!" Johnson said laughing while blowing smoke out of his mouth. "That's the stench of brotherhood." "That's the stench of man-flesh, you tall dark mountain!" "You know, in the Corps I went nearly a month without showering? It allowed me to blend in with my surroundings on alien planets, confuse the Covenant sissies." Rouge stood up. "Sarge, we are aboard a hostile spaceship about to be tortured by a mad-man! How can you not take this _seriously_?!" Chris interrupted. "Guys, shut up! I'm thinking!"

All eyes were on him. The theory he thought up was risky at best. It might not work and Malak might get the information he needs. Either they go quietly and get mind-raped by this Sith Lord, or they could try this one little sliver of hope that may just even get them out of here. "I think I have something."

The other Marines crowded around. "What is it, Chris?" Sally asked. She was desperate. He could sense it in her voice. They were all depending on him. "That guy over there just got taken away for interrogation, right?" A round of somber "yes" calls came from his men. "So, here's the plan: We need to send someone out on purpose to try and see if they can memorize the locks and codes to get us into restricted areas and maybe even the hanger." Sally's eyes darted back and forth, thinking about this plan. "But…if I'm thinking about this correctly; someone has to go and face Malak's torture. And then they have to come back and view the locks." "Yeah, Cap. How can we do that to someone?" Ryan asked. Chris contemplated his next choice of words. Several thoughts about him could change in this one question. "Any volunteers?"

_What did he just say?_ Sally thought to herself. _He didn't even listen to us! Doesn't he care about the well-being of his men? Oh sure it' for the greater good of getting away but for Christ's sake!_ There was silence for a few seconds. Then, Sergeant Johnson stepped forward. "I'll do it." Ryan scoffed. "Damn! I was just about to volunteer!" Rouge chuckled slightly. "No you weren't." "No I wasn't. He admitted.

"Sergeant, are you sure about this?" Chris asked. "Once that guard comes for us, there's no going back." "I'm ready to start pulling my old-ass weight around here. I can resist torture." Bunnie came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sarge, this is a _Jedi_ we're talking about. He has the Force for Christ's sake, shugah." "I know. I've been in worse spots the Force can't touch. Let's see the Iorn Gums over there try and crack my egg. Tell me the whole plan, Captain."

Chris spent a quarter of an hour explaining the full plan. Basically the guard would come for Johnson; he would go quietly and try to memorize the locks and codes to get into restricted areas, maybe even the hangars. He could try and remember the sounds each numbers made, the patters in which the guard moved his hands across the grid, or other possible ways. He would go and resist Malak's torture and be returned back. The Dark Lord would probably think he made Johnson a vegetable and only give him one guard to send him back. Once he got to the cell, they would ambush the guard and take his card-keys. Sally stared disapprovingly at Chris. He face looked chiseled from stone. Her normally sparkling blue eyes were dull and angry. "Is something wrong, Princess?" he asked. "No, nothing. Continue, Captain."

The guard arrived ten minutes after his little briefing. He tapped the wall with a stun baton. "It's time." He said slickly. "Any takers?" To the sith trooper's surprise, Johnson stood up. "Take me first." Avery could picture the trooper's face behind his mask. "Oh, yeah sure. Well, let's go. Come on, prisoner I don't have all day!" Johnson mouthed, 'I'll be back' to the group as the force field slid over the cell.

Sally sat next to the wall. Tails was still rocking and mumbling. "I can't believe you just did that, Chris! You sent him out to be killed!" the Captain stiffened. "Johnson is not going to be killed." "How do you know?! You just sent a soldier under your command, your _friend_ to die needlessly! What if the guard decides he didn't like the look in his eye and decides to shoot him on the spot?" Chris couldn't believe what he was hearing from her. Was it that time of month? No, there was intention behind her words. She was genuinely pissed off at him. "What was I supposed to do? How else were we going to get out of here? Do a Charlie Chaplin and hope the guards die laughing?! How, Sally? HOW?!" Sally got to her feet. "How dare you yell at me, Human!" The other Marines gasped. The term 'Human' had two ways of being pronounced. One was formal or respectful; the other was a form of an insult. 20 bucks all around said the guys could guess which form the princess was using.

"Sergeant Acorn!" Uh oh, they were on rank terms now. It was getting worse. "I am Sally Alicia Acorn, Daughter of Max and Alicia, Princess of Mobius, and I don't answer to you, Human!" Smackdown! That was the final straw. "Chris?" Rouge asked. "Handsome?" She offered. It was no good. The Captain was angrier than anyone had ever seen. His eyes were literally on fire and he was drawing back for one more punch. This time, he would hit her where it hurt. "You are under my command and you will listen to me! You little Furry brat!" The Marines gasped. That was _way _out of line. The inclusion of the infamous racial slur made Bunnie and Rouge gasp. Miles actually stopped his rocking and stared with wide eyes. Sally was reduced to tears right before his very eyes. Her heart broke. "Chris…" Miles said in whisper. Sally ran over to Bunnie and buried herself in her friend's chest. She heaved in sobs as Rabbot patted her hair. She stared at Chris with wide eyes. "What's wrong with you?! Why are you like this?!" Chris turned to Ryan. "That ain't right, Cap." Rouge simply stared at him as if she had directly insulted her. Well, in a way he did. He had insulted every Mobian in the room. The twi'lek in the other cell laughed. "Way to go, lover boy!" he crowed from his bunk.

Bunnie sat on the bunk and kept rubbing her friend's shoulder while she cried her eyes out. Chris' insult burned her worse than acid because merely days ago she had fantasized about having _children_ with him! This was _not_ the Human she fell in love with all those months ago. It was even so bad that Bunnie looked at Chris angrily. "I hope you get every bit of pain that's coming to you, you son of a bitch."

As if by magic, Chris realized his mistake. "Sally, I'm sorry!" "NO!" She sobbed. "Please! I didn't mean it!" "Yes you did! Leave me alone!" "Sally, I was angry! I-" "No, Chris." She said looking at him. Chris realized how much he had hurt Sally by the look in her eyes. Her eyes were still rich with tears. "If you really cared, you wouldn't have said that. You don't care about who dies for you to win. It's over."

It was _his_ turn to feel his heart being broken. "W…what?" Sally shook her head. "It's over, Christopher. I thought you were worth it. I thought you were the Human that could make a difference to me. Oh was I an idiot." The Captain was unaware that he had sunk to his knees. The one woman he cared about was gone. Just as his parents had died that day, He, Christopher James Vennettilli was dead to Sally Acorn. He planted his face in his hands and cried. Ryan shook his head with no pity. "Pathetic." He said lying back.

Johnson was lead down another hallway that looked the same. How in the _world_ was he going to give directions to the Captain when every single hallway looked the same as the others? _Who I would kill for Mapquest_. He thought in his head. He decided to strike up a conversation to rid himself of the boredom. "So, uh…Do you torture people often?" The guard didn't even look at him. "Shut up." He said through his mask. "You sure do grip an arm like a torturer." "I said shut up."

"Have you ever asked yourself what you're doing here? Why you're doing this?" The guard looked at him now. Avery only saw his reflection. "Do you want the baton, prisoner?" "Seriously!" "Well, actually I was promised to see great locales and have adventure. Well…here I am, 26 years old and stuck in the worst place in the galaxy. Do you honestly think I enjoy this job?" Johnson said, "Well, you seem to put your heart into beating people." "Oh, that's just me trying to take it out on my father, damn him to hell. Well, here we are."

The door straight ahead was the torture room. Avery could hear screaming from the other side. "Go on, get in." The guard ordered pushing him in. "Nice talking to you by the way." He said. "Yeah, no problem." The door opened and inside was Admiral Karath. He was smiling. "Well, well, well. It appears our first prisoner is here. Do come in Sergeant." The door shut behind him as he entered the torture chamber. There were cylindrical tubes in the room but one look at them told Johnson they were not kolto tanks.

"Step into the field, Sergeant." Johnson did so willingly. "Your cigar, please?" Karath said rolling his eyes. Johnson barred his teeth. "A man needs his smokes." "Very well. Here's how the process works. I ask a question, you answer. I hear an answer I don't like, I activate the torture field." "Bring it on, Asshole."

Karath snarled. "How many planets did you visit?" "Ten." Johnson lied. It was sloppy and Karath knew it. He activated the field and pain lanced through Johnson's body. He held back and kept his cigar clamped. "Wrong Answer." The Admiral announced. "How many planets did you visit?" "Four." Saul shrugged. It sounded plausible. "How many map pieces did you find?" "None." Johnson fibbed again. "I led you to the first one you imbecile!" he roared and activated the machine again. Avery gasped in pain as the fields sent electronic signals to his brain.

"Where is your next destination?" Johnson told the truth. "We don't know! We never found out?" Evidently Karath didn't like this answer and sent another jolt of pain into the Sergeant. Johnson barely held a scream in. Miraculously the cigar remained in his mouth. "WHERE WERE YOU HEADED?" "I'm telling the truth!" Karath's eyes narrowed. "I don't think so." Another lance of electronic agony.

Johnson fell to his knees. After the round of pain was done, Johnson was actually laughing. "What's so funny?" Saul asked. "Tell me, Saul. How good will that Emerald make you look in front of your master?" Saul barred his teeth and activated the machine out of spite. He twirled the dial upward until Johnson started screaming. The Sergeant struggled to keep the cigar in his mouth. The sweet fumes were the thing that kept him sane from the torture… "That is enough, Admiral." A cold, synthetic voice said behind them. Karath froze.

Darth Malak walked into the room. His very presence gave Avery chills. Saul fell to his knees. "My Lord." He said curtly. "Rise, Admiral." Karath did as he was told and stood at full height. He was still about a head and a half shorter than Malak. "My Lord, the Sergeant is proving very resilient to the torture. Perhaps I should up the dosage every time he refuses to talk?" Malak shook his head. "No, machines can only inflict so much pain whereas a person can do so much more. Release him, Admiral Karath." Saul bowed. "Yes, My Lord. As you wish."

Saul hesitantly shut down the machine and allowed Johnson to stand. His T-shirt was stained with sweat turning the white cotton fabric grey. Malak looked into Avery's eyes. "Sergeant-Major, it has come to my attention that you are resisting the Admiral's attempts to coerce the information which I seek from you. The machines are being less than valuable, so _I_ will torture you."

Johnson's eyes grew wide. "No, wait! I don't think that will be necessary, Lord Malak!" the Dark Lord laughed. It was a cold metallic laugh that strained Avery's eardrums to hear. "I sense _much_ fear in you, Sergeant. More fear than to last a lifetime." "Show me your fear, and it will be over. Give me the map that is buried within your mind. Release it from the grips of your fear." Avery maintained some of his courage. "No." he simply said. Malak made a noise which could have meant he showed some respect for the man. He lunged forward at alarming speed and placed his right hand on Johnson's forehead. His eyes drew back into his head and dark energy made an aura around him. Avery bravely said, "Is that all you got, Cue Ball?" He then screamed out in pain as Malak forced his way into Johnson's mind.

Searching through a person's mind was not as easy as some people thought. The mind held much more information than the Galactic Records did. To find something as small as a map or a memory of one seemed damn near impossible. The Sith Lord attempted to do just that. Malak fought his way through Johnson's memories. Aliens, a blue planet, an artificial ring, and…something horrible…

The memory came out of nowhere and seized Malak. The Sith Lord was powerless to avoid it. He saw horrors of men being overtaken by a _parasite_. They were stripped of their humanity and were transformed into something horrifying. Malak may have been Dark Lord of the Sith but what he saw here made him feel like a small child again. He wanted to leave this memory and never return, but the Sergeant was fighting him, trying to keep him here and weaken him. He was not to be commanded like this. He fought with all his dark power to get out of his mind. Horrible creatures swarmed around him yelling in distorted voices.

At last he was free. The Sith Lord's own determination had literally flung him out of Johnson's mind and across the torture chamber's floor. Several Sith troopers gasped at the sight of the Dark Lord being flung like this. Malak rose with anger. "My Lord…?" Karath asked but Malak silenced him. "What's the matter, Jaws? Cat got your tongue?"

Malak was unsure of what happened but it was clear that whatever was in this man's head was keeping him from the map. But those memories…He didn't want to see them again. "Get him out of my sight, Admiral. Bring me the Captain. I want to speak to him again_ personally_." "Yes, My Lord Malak. Guard; escort Sergeant Johnson back to his cell. I believe only one of you should be necessary, he's just been around the block."

_YES_. Johnson thought. Avery was led out of the door by the same guard who brought him there.

Johnson remembered some of the lock codes that were used to open the doors between here and the elevators. He just needed the right moment to put phase 2 into action. A few minutes later, Avery was back in the cell block with aliens yelling in their native tongues for mercy. They reached his cell and the Marines looked at him as if they didn't believe what they were seeing. "OK, back in you go, prisoner. Human, you next." The guard said pointing to the Captain when he field had lifted.

Johnson nodded. "No way! If you want me, you'll have to take me!" The guard lit up his baton instantly. "I have _no_ time for this!" The guard had made the mistake they were hoping for. He left Avery unattended. Johnson waited until the guard had a bit of a lead over him before running up behind him and throwing his cuffs over his head and around his neck, choking him. "Who's prisoner now, bitch?" The guard spluttered, "What…the…hell?!" Johnson choked the young man until he fell unconscious. "No hard feelings." Johnson said.

"We did it!" Chris exclaimed. He gave Sally a smug shot and the princess grew angry. The Captain picked up the key-card from the guard's pocket and flipped it over in his hands. He swiped it across Johnson's cuffs and the locks clicked. Avery's shackles fell off and he rubbed his hands. "Thanks Captain." The Sergeant said. "Don't thank Sally though. The Princess said through clenched teeth, "You are an idiotic racist!" Johnson said to Ryan, "Did I miss something, boy?" "Oh nothing important. Chris just called Sally the other "F-Word" and Sally broke up with him." "Oh I see. Should I be angry with him?" "Most definitely, Sarge."

The Captain picked up the guard's blaster. "Come on." He said. "We should make our way to the hanger. Johnson, which way?" Avery grunted, "Left, right, straight for two intersections, the take another right." "Move out, Marines!" he whispered. Chris could barely hear the "yes, sir's" and he demanded, "Come on Marines! More feeling!" "SIR YES, SIR!" They said it so loud that it gave away their positions. "Hey, over there!" A patrol said. "Escaping prisoners!" one of the yelled.

The Captain pulled the blaster's trigger. A solid beam of energy streamed from the weapon and hit the enemy soldier in the face. He died instantly but his companion managed to raise the alarm. Chris got him too and let him suffer a slow, painful death.

"Oh God! The Alarms! They're gonna catch us!" Tails cried. "Malak's going to shot me with lightning again!" "Calm down Tails." Rouge comforted. "Johnson, Ryan, get those rifles. Give Acorn the pistol." Sally flared again. "Oh, now you're being sexist? I really should have broken up with you months ago." Chris ignored her. "Bunnie, can your arm feel pain?" The rabbit said, "If its pain you want, talk to Sally. She can tell you a lot about that." "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" Bunnie's ears drooped. Chris was scaring her. "No, it doesn't." Chris aimed the pistol. "Hold still." He aimed it at the inhibitor on her arm. A quick shot later the ring had dropped to the ground. "Thanks, but I still don't like what you said." "You can hate me later. Let's move, Marines! Hustle!"

Malak stood waiting in the torture room. The patrol was taking far too long. He was about to send a guard when the alarms rang. This meant escaped prisoners. Karath was suddenly at attention. "That had better not be what I think it is, Admiral." The Dark Lord said. Saul tapped the camera controls with shaking hands. "My Lord…they _have_ escaped! They're heading towards the hanger!" "No. I cannot be defeated so easily! Relinquish the control of the Elite soldiers to me, Admiral. I will get them myself.

"The hanger's just up ahead!" Chris said. There were already windows of a few bays where ships were docked. Now they were window-shopping. The ship needed to carry them all. "WAIT!" Sally screamed. "We forgot NICOLE!" Chris wheeled around. Sally was scared. NICOLE was a living thing AI or not and he did fear for her safety. Even if he and Sally were no longer the loving pair they were, he needed to do this with her. "Johnson, did you see a droid bay of some sort?" "Yeah, a hallway back, take a left." He looked at Sally. "And there we go." "Don't get smart, Human. I still despise you."

The droid bay was exactly where Johnson said it was. Chris shot the guards and used the keycard to get inside. At the end of a long table there was NICOLE. Sally cried out in joy and opened the device. NICOLE's hologram flickered to life. "Sally? Is that you? You saved me! The Sith have been trying to get into my systems for three days! It was horrible. I…I was frightened." "Relax, NICOLE. I'm here for you." Sally cooed. NICOLE looked at Chris. "Why so silent, big guy?" "Captain Vennettilli is no longer associated with me!" "What? You broke it off? Why?" "He called me "Furry"." "WHAT?!" Blaster bolts impacted the wall. "We can discuss it later ladies!" He grabbed Sally's arm and jerked her to another door. Not a moment too soon. Darth Malak leaped through the door and began to follow them. _Not this time_.

"How about that one?" Ryan asked. Pointing to a blocky freighter. "No! You have no fashion sense, boy!" Johnson said. "You need to pick a ship with pizzazz, one the ladies will say 'mm-hmm! I would do that captain of that ship any time!'" Ryan picked another ship. "OK, how about that one? Does that scream starship sex to you, Sarge?"

It was beautiful. The ship had three prongs, one deeper than the other. Two laser canons were on both the prongs and a top mounted laser would provide point defense. The cockpit was roughly rectangular and had an attractive cockpit. Two engines on her rear were currently switched off. "Boy, you sure have an eye for vehicles." Bunnie was sitting on a cargo crate. "Boys, how are we gonna get in that thing? It looks locked up tight." Tails then cut in. "Guys! You aren't gonna believe this! The Tornado's here! Look!"

It was true. The fighter jet was in the _Leviathan_'s launch bay waiting for a pilot. "That's weird. Why did the Sith want that thing?" Rouge asked. "You tell me." Ryan answered.

"_I can't believe you said that to her_!" NICOLE scolded. "_You should be ashamed of yourself_!" "NICOLE, this is _really_ not the time!" "_I'll say it as often as I need to, Chris! That was totally out of line! You need to apologize_!" Chris vaulted over an astromech droid. "You sound like my mother!" "_In this universe, I'm as close to your mother as I'm ever going to get! APOLOGIZE_!" "I can't here!" Chris said running from the blaster bolts. Soon, he saw a crimson blade and death wielded it in the form of Darth Malak. He screamed and dragged Sally even faster along with him. They entered the hanger and he shouted, "GET IN THE SHIP!" he yelled. "NICOLE, OPEN THAT HATCH!" "_Working…done._" The hatch to the ship opened up and the Marines clambered inside. Chris was about to enter when he saw the Sith troopers come closer. He glanced at the open hatchway, then to the approaching Sith. "Oh, I can't believe I'm doing this…!" Sally shouted, "Where are you going?!"

Chris threw several boxes in the way of the Sith. He shot several of them and beat a few down. He tried to shut the door but it was no use, there were too many. "TAKE OFF!" He ordered. "_Is he insane_?" NICOLE asked. "Take off, boys!" She shouted to Ryan and Johnson. The ship's engines flared and soon enough she was airborne. The Tornado also activated with Miles at her controls. "Oh I've missed you, baby. Show papa what you can still do."

Chris kicked a Sith Trooper in the face. He grabbed his sword and slammed the hilt into another unfortunate soldier. He heard main engines fire up and the ships departed the hanger. Sally was still standing on the ramp. "Sally!" he shouted. "I really am sorry. I'll find you somehow!" he shouted. She believed him. She shed real tears because she forgave him. He saw him overrun with Sith fighting bravely trying to get them safely away. "I forgive you, Christopher. I just hope you can forgive me." She suddenly saw Chris shot several times with blasters. He tried to go on but he collapsed.

She then ran up the ramp crying. She saw the lasers hit his body. There were dozens of them. Nobody could survive that. She found a bunk room in the starboard side and just buried her face in the pillow. Bunnie came into the room. "Sally-girl? Are you OK?" She cried, "No! He's dead! They shot him!" "Who?" "CHRIS! HE'S DEAD!"

Sally was crying again. She always seemed to be breaking down now. "Come here, sweetie." Bunnie said. Sally embraced her friend. "I forgave him, Bunnie. I know he always meant well with the plan. He saved us." Bunnie hugged the princess tightly and sniffled. "I know he did. I know."

The ships immediately reverted to normalspace as soon as they cleared the _Leviathan_. The Tornado and the stolen ship simply just drifted until they were close enough to establish radio communication. "So where to now?" Johnson asked at the head of the ship. "_I guess Coruscant_." Miles suggested. "Coruscant Why?" Ryan asked kicking his feet up on the instrument panel. "_I have unfinished business to take care of. Master Kavar_." "Oh yeah, that." Johnson said. Rouge entered the cockpit. "Good news, NICOLE managed to get into the databases here. This ship is a freighter that's been in and out of some slippery hands over the years. It goes by the name of the _Ebon Hawk_." "Catchy name." Ryan said. "It's the UNSC _Ebon Hawk _now, bitches!" Sarge said laughing and putting a new cigar in his mouth.

He wasn't dead. At least he didn't think he was. If he wasn't dead, was he alive? He didn't feel like it. Then, the world shifted back into focus. Chris James Vennettilli was not dead. He was however floating in the air with an invisible hand closing around his windpipe. He flipped in mid-air and he saw hundreds of Sith Troopers, Admiral Karath giving a smug smile, and the Dark Lord himself with a lit lightsaber in his right fist.

"You have been very resourceful, Captain." Darth Malak said with malice in his voice. "You may have gotten your friends away, but rest assured: I have you." He brought the Captain close enough to see his own reflection in the red-rimmed eyes. "I WILL have that Emerald, and you will show me where it is!"


	15. Chapter 14: Across the Universe

Chapter 14: Across the Universe

November 6th, 3235, 1410 hours

The _Leviathan_

Hyperspace

Malak sent another angry lightning bolt into the terrified Captain as he hung in chains from the wall. The Dark Lord was not showing any mercy to the Marine. His best bets to find the Blood Emerald were gone, lost in the galaxy. Rest assured he would send out his best acolytes to track the vermin down but first, he wanted his moment.

The Human shrieked in pain. He had passed out twice but red-armored elite guards gave him doses of chemicals to revitalize him. Then the Dark Lord started the process all over again. Lightning flew from his fingertips and zapped the helpless man. His skeleton was showing through his skin in blue flashes. Even Admiral Karath flinched once or twice. Lord Malak was no doubt cruel but this was just something else.

He stopped the current and the Captain went limp, breathing deeply. His skin was scorched in several places and he had several cuts on his shoulders and torso. His wrists had deep red marks where the metal shackles had bitten into his skin. Malak gripped Vennettilli's hair and yanked him up so he could stare into his eyes. "You thought you could get away." Malak droned. His synthetic voice was layered with death. How many other helpless beings faced this man and died by his hands? "You thought you could just leave me behind." Malak landed a blow on Chris' face. The Captain's head jerked over and blood came from his mouth. "Please…Mercy…!" Malak punched him again. Tears of pain rolled down his cheeks.

"Where were you going? What plan did you have?" the Dark Lord asked. "We had no plan! We were just-" Another jolt of lightning hit his chest. The Sith Troopers shuffled uneasily as they heard the man scream. Evidently, Darth Malak wrote the book on torture. He was so perfect in his evil act. It would make the most cold-hearted mobster weep.

"Please! I don't know anything!" Malak gave him three strikes to the head. Chris heard his spine crack again. Pain shot up his spine into his head. He gasped in agony. Malak picked his head up and said, "Nobody escapes _me_. I will not make the same mistake with you!" He shot Chris once more with lightning. The blue light hit Chris right on the heart. "AAAAHHHHH!" He screamed. It was long and drawn out. He sobbed twice and his head dropped. Several monitors started beeping. "Lord Malak!" One of the Elite Troopers said. "His heart shut down!"

Malak didn't want the boy dead yet. He wanted to run through his skull, pick up anything that might be useful for the Dark Lord to achieve. He placed his palm on his Chris' bare chest, letting the Dark Side flow into the Marine. The Captain's body jolted a couple of times as the heart restarted. He took a deep breath and coughed.

Why couldn't he just die? He wanted to just be left alone to pass from this world. He had nothing to lose. He lost his parents, he lost his friends, and he lost Sally! What more could he try to fight for? "Why…can't you just let me die, you bastard?" Malak laughed. He was _enjoying_ this for God's sake! "I wish to make you suffer before I dispose of you. Relax, Captain. This might not even hurt." Malak thrust his hand onto Chris' head, burrowing his way into the young man's mind. Chris screamed as the Dark Lord passed into his subconscious. It was a violation of nature, digging into someone's mind using brute strength of the Force. _He said it wouldn't hurt! Am I surprised?_

Malak was within the boy's head much quicker then the Sergeant. It was also less cluttered. He was young. There wasn't much to look through. His head was filled with memories that the Dark Lord thrived on: Pain, sadness, and so much more. Memories of his parents, whom were now dead, colleagues killed before his very eyes.

And there was love. _Love_! There was _Passion_. Malak remembered the tenants well: _Peace is a lie; there is only Passion. Through Passion I gain Strength. Through Strength I gain Power. Through Power, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me_. There was much passion in the young man's mind as well. The passion he had for his friend, the alien whom he was unable to place. Many memories clouded his mind about her. Her in a castle, her on a snowy plateau, her in a ruined city, her the jungle of Dxun, her on Telos, sharing their first intimate moment, her here in the prison cell, broken hearted. It was all about _her_! Gah! It made him sick to the stomach to see all these thoughts of the girl. She wasn't even that _pretty_! Oh, but she was attractive in a way.

He passed thoughts of his home planet. A world called "Earth". It was comparable to Coruscant in a way. But where was it? It had the same population size but where do you hide a trillion person planet? Unless…the Admiral was serious about the alternate universe thing. He pressed on, collecting small data on weapons, ships, weaknesses. Finally he found what he was looking for. The memory of the map.

It wasn't exactly as he hoped. The map was incomplete. The Sergeant and the Captain were telling the whole truth after all. The last place they were at was Tatooine. The place they were previous was Dxun. The ancient Sith symbols he saw in the memory were unlike many he had seen before. Malak was sure that he saw them somewhere before. He locked the memory within his own mind and withdrew, satisfied.

The Dark Lord was back in his own body. Chris sighed and his head dropped. He was exhausted. The presence of another mind in his own destroyed him. He was on the verge of passing out again. "My Lord?" Karath asked. "Admiral, I am fine. I have what I wanted." Saul smiled in anticipation. "The map?" Malak said, "Yes and no. The map is incomplete. There are few ideas where it could be. I am only aware of the places they were before we captured them. I think we engaged Telos a bit sooner than we wanted."

"We'll need to find their ship, Lord Malak. The one we disabled in the Telos system." Malak shook his head, which made his cape flap. "No. The Republic has probably already received a distress call from them. They are in safe hands now. The female on the other hand, the computer she has. I want." "NICOLE, My Lord?" "Indeed. Send out assassination squads to track down the fugitives and eliminate them. Tell them to bring me the computer, alive and undamaged. Meanwhile, I will announce to the engineers that their job it to try and translate the text I saw."

Malak heard a voice behind him. It was the Captain. He was fighting his way back into consciousness. "You'll never find them, Malak! It's pointless to track them down! They're long gone from here!" Malak walked up to him. "Look at me. LOOK AT ME!" He said grabbing the Captain's head once more. "I WILL find them. When I do, I will have them brought before me, I will listen to them beg and cry for mercy and forgiveness. I will stab each one of them through the heart and watch the light leave their eyes. I will kill the female last and let her have the slowest death." His eyes met the Captains' "You are not worthy to be in my presence. There is too much of the Light in you. I am just so sad you will not hear her calling your name as she passes away."

Chris' eyes became wide open. "So you're going to kill me." "I am. Guard." He called. "Prepare the Captain for a little trip. Make sure his friends find his body floating dead in space. That will send them a message not to cross me." The Sith trooper nodded and took the Captain down from the wall. The Marine was led out trailing red blood on the floor. "You're making a mistake, Malak! You'll never win!" The Dark Lord didn't even turn to look at him.

The guard led Chris through the bowels of the _Leviathan_. His past couple of day of incarceration led him to understand some small amounts of Aurebesh. They were headed to a section of the ship labeled, 'PROCESSING'. That didn't sound good. He needed to come up with a plan. "Hey, can I make a quick rest stop on the way?" the guard huffed. "You can do your business when we space you." Chris was determined. "Yeah, but if I go now, I don't think Lord Malak will be happy about his halls being messed up."

The guard winced. He remembered the last guy who managed to get a prisoner to processing and had an accident. They were cleaning out the trash compactor for weeks. "OK, fine. Two minutes, then we go. We're on a schedule here, prisoner."

The pair walked to a lavatory. Chris slipped inside while the guard stood outside. "Two minutes. No funny stuff." "Relax. I'm just going to piss and wash up." He sealed the door. The Captain went inside. There was a sink on the far wall. He did turn it on and cleaned some of his wounds. He needed to mess with this guy and get the drop on him. He overran the sink and let it spill over. "Hey guard! I think there's something wrong in here!" He shouted. The Sith Trooper walked inside while Chris hid behind the wall.

"What's going on?" He said with his baton raised. "I said no funny stuff, prisoner!" He was in open view and he didn't notice the Captain. Chris ran forward and grabbed hold of the man's head. He was so surprised that he didn't even attack. Vennettilli slammed his head into the metal wall so hard he left a dent. Needless to say the Sith Trooper was down for the count. He smiled, which wasn't pretty with his messed up face. "Oh, this is beautiful." He said. He unhooked the helmet from the Sith Trooper's body and held it up to his face. "I'd say it's a perfect fit."

Three minutes later, the Sith guard reemerged from the refresher with his prisoner draped over his shoulder. Only the _real_ guard was draped over his shoulder unconscious and Chris was wearing the armor. It _was_ a perfect fit and it fit so well. It was even heated! These Sith had it too nice.

Chris was sure that the man's face was facing towards his chest. It would all be blown over if someone recognized the person. He decided to rough him up a bit, make sure his face was swollen and bloody enough so that the two would probably be indistinguishable. He entered Processing and said, "Lord Malak wants this man taken care of." The commander said, "Right then. What happened to him?" Chris lied, "Tried to jump me. I got him right across the face. Would teach him not to mess with the Sith." He just didn't want to overdo it. He needed to play towards the Sith so that they wouldn't suspect that he wasn't one of them. The commander seemed to buy it. "Alright then, you're good to go. Take it easy." "Thanks sir." Chris nodded.

He left Processing and walked down the hall, reading the names of certain hallways. He found 'Contraband'. Bingo. The door slid open with one flash of the key-card. The room was filled with barrels and bags. It didn't take him long to find the UNSC Eagle on some duffels. He found his own name on one and opened it up. Inside were his Desert Eagle and many clips of ammunition. He took the handgun and inserted a clip into it. He racked the slide and felt great satisfaction in hearing projectile weaponry again. He picked up some of the other duffels and contemplated picking up Sally's. He gave in and opened it.

Inside were a few possessions. Some were not important to him: an acorn, a few Mobian Dollars, a stuffed doll in the shape of a fox, and other things. Chris smiled as he turned the fox over in his hands. He couldn't feel the fur but he imagined that she had it ever since she was young. He placed the doll in his pack and kept looking. He found her .357 and a box of magnum rounds, and something that made him freeze. It was a picture. It wasn't _just_ a picture, but it was the only picture Chris and Sally had taken together.

It was just after he arrived on Mobius and helped the UNSC defeat Dr. Robotnik for the first time. Sally insisted that they take a picture since it would signify his inclusion in the Freedom Fighters. Chris was wearing his dress blues in the picture with the single silver bar of a Lieutenant on his shoulder. _Those were the glory days_. He thought to himself.

Sally on the other hand was happy he was there. He was the only surviving protector that was assigned to her. He was the best in his class and saved the princess _twice_. Made Sonic mad to think about it. With a sad sigh, he placed the picture in the duffel he had on his back. He turned around and began to find his way to the hangers.

The Captain wandered the halls of the _Leviathan_ looking for a ticket to the hangers. He went the same way he did in the first place not getting too close to the other Sith Troopers. He got to the hanger door and saw that it was red. Locked, that meant. "Damn!" Chris said out loud. He heard a warm laugh behind him.

A Sith Trooper walked up to him. "Can't get to the hanger either, eh?" Chris nodded. _Just play along_. "No, I can't. I have to deliver some contraband to the dockmaster." The Trooper immediately said, "Well you can't, pal. Eight kinds of hell were raised here yesterday! We nearly stopped an escape attempt! Did you hear about that?" The Captain nodded his head. "Yeah I heard about it. I was working a few decks down when it happened." The Trooper laughed. "You missed a real close one! Every single one of 'em got away except this one kid. Malak got the grip on him this morning." Chris started to improvise a little.

"Heard he was pretty tough. Must be pretty smart too to break past our guards!" The trooper cocked his head curiously. "What are you, new? The guards on this tub couldn't guard a sleeping bantha! They let those kids go so easy, Malak killed the guard who let them slip away!" "So what does that have to do with the door?" The Trooper racked his brains, remembering. "Oh, right. The door. This door's on lockdown; we're still taking care of the breakout. Only way you're going to get through is if you go around the outside of the ship. You're going to need clearance for that, which most of us grunts don't have." Chris nodded. He heard all he needed. "Well, thanks anyway." The Trooper waived at him. "No problem. Have a good one!" _What a decent fellow_. Chris thought. _I think it would have almost been a shame to kill him_!

A protocol droid pointed him in the right direction to the airlocks. Apparently, there was an external pathway that soldiers could use to cross the ship bypassing lockouts. Chris needed to get a suit to cross the area. The armor he was wearing wasn't airtight and couldn't protect him against hard vacuum. The airlock antechamber was a large room with a single guard. He saw him walk in. "Hey, what do you want?" he growled. "I need a suit. I have to get some contraband across the lockdown. Commander's orders." The man stared at him with piercing eyes. "Which one?" The question hit Vennettilli like a boulder. _Which one?!_ He struggled to remember what the commander's name was. He had it. "Xerkus. Commander Xerkus. He wanted me to move this stuff to the armory on the other side of the lockdown. The man shook his head. "Sorry, kid. Xerkus isn't that high up. You need level two clearance. You have like what? Level One? Forget it." "Oh, OK." "Beat it, you runt."

He waited until the man's back was turned. Chris felt around and picked out a knife in the utility belt. He snuck up behind the man and grabbed his mouth and then stabbed him in the back. He waited until the man stopped struggling and dumped his body in a trash chute.

He looked around and found a space suit. He stepped into it and put the top half over his head. It hissed and made the seal airtight. He opened the outer door and closed it behind him while the air was pumped out. When it was all done, he cycled the inner door and walked out into space.

Chris had never been on a spacewalk before so the effect was almost giddying. He took deep breaths here and there, trying to take steps on the pathway. He still had the duffel bag in hand. There was still gravity around here so there was still a "down". There was a guard up ahead. "_Halt_." He said seriously. Chris stopped right in front of him. "What's going on?" "_We need to see your identification._" "Are you kidding? I already showed it to the guy in the last room!" The guard crossed his arm and cocked his head so the system sun glanced off his golden visor. "_Secondary check. Admiral Karath wants us to maintain a strict allowance of Troopers. Hand it over._" Chris reached into the utility belt and handed him the key-card. The guard studied it for a moment and said, "_Hey, this is a level one! How did you get in here! I'm getting the commander._" Chris shoved the guard over the railing. He went flying off into space, screaming. Chris still heard him on the channel. Just to ease the suffering, Chris drew his Desert Eagle and fired. The weapon belched two flashes silently. Both caught the guard right in the faceplate. Blood and oxygen leaked from the hole, sending the body pin wheeling in space like a toy windmill. The body eventually drifted past the wall and Chris continued his walk. He did manage to grab the guard's Level Two clearance so in case anyone asked, he could show it to them.

The trek went relatively unopposed and the clearance got him through the next room. The hanger was right down the elevator. Sweet freedom at last.

Malak was waiting for the guard to return and deliver his report on the execution. Any minute now he would receive the report that that the boy was spaced, he squirmed for a little, then died. It was fifteen minutes past and he did not return. It didn't take that long to kill someone. "Admiral Karath. I believe that this long wait has been very inconvenient for us. I think you should contact the processing center." Karath nodded. "I will do as you command, my Lord M-" "_Admiral Karath, we have a situation here_!" A voice said. "What's going on?" Saul asked trying to sound professional. "_We received the "prisoner a little while ago but he came to and told us that the Captain ambushed him in the refreshed and knocked him unconscious._"

Karath looked fearfully at his master. "What?! How did he do that?" "_We're not sure! We nearly spaced the guard instead but he came to just in time._" Malak walked up to the controls. "Kill the fool who managed to let him slip away." "_My Lord_?" "I gave you an order." "_Yes, Lord Malak_." There was blaster fire on the other end. "_He's dead, My Lord_. _What do we do about the Captain_?" Karath thought, "He's probably using a Sith uniform to sneak his way out of the ship. I can make a broadcast to stop any and all personnel that do not have security papers." "Do it, Admiral. My patience has worn dangerously thin. Bring me his head!"

Chris was nearly there. The elevator was taking him down to the launch bays. He could find a ship to stow away on while it took him somewhere else. Then he could look for Sally and the others. "_Attention all crewmembers, this is Admiral Saul Karath. We have a breakout. One of the troopers among you is in fact an escaping convict! Stop any and all personnel and ask for visual confirmation. The convict in question is 5 feet 7 inches, brown hair, green eyes, and a small bit of facial hair. The Trooper who apprehends the convict shall receive a substantial reward. Thank You_."

"Oh great!" Chris groaned aloud. They put out an APB on him! It was only a matter of time now before he was apprehended and killed on the spot. He needed to move quickly. The elevator stopped and he was in the hangers. A Trooper attempted to stop him but was shoved to the ground. "Hey, it's him!" he yelled. Chris shot him in the head but that only brought attention to him. He made a mad dash for a freighter that was beginning a warm up period. The alarm sounded and dozens of Sith Troopers ran from doors. The engines of the freighter began to turn on and the hatch was closing. He slipped inside just before the Sih began firing their blasters. The automated ship punched it coming out of the hangers and blew into space.

Malak was furious that the Captain had managed to get away. His one link to finding the rest of the Marines was gone. What if they already found the Emerald? He could not stand for it. He wanted the Captain dead or alive now. He ordered all fighters to converge on the freighter before it made a jump to lightspeed.

In the hangers, scores of Sith Interceptors detached from their berths and sped out of the hanger. They activated their S-foils and began approaching the droid ship.

Chris sat in the cockpit of the alien vessel. He could barely read what each dial and button did. He finally found gun controls. Not a moment too soon. The shields took a hit as fighters swarmed all over the ship. Chris activated them and spun them around manually leading his shots so that speed would bring the lasers into the tiny ships. "Time to die, bitches." Chris said thumbing the triggers.

The guns barked, sending red lasers from the freighter into space. The fighter he was aiming at exploded and he immediately targeted another. He fired a few shots in succession and took down several ships. The shields started blaring red. There was just too many of them. Before he thought the shields would buckle, he heard the engines powering up. He knew what that meant.

In the viewport, the stars turned into streaks and shot straight towards him. He was flung into the darkness at super-fast speeds. Soon, he was safe in the blue tunnel. The Captain laughed and took his helmet off. He sat in the seat and wiped his hair down. He did it. "I did it!" He crowed. He had, on his own, escaped from the Sith's clutches.

But now what? He had no idea where he was going, he couldn't pilot the ship, so what? All he could do was lie back, probably get a nap in, or just watch Hyperspace. What he did instead was just reach into his duffel bag, push past the weapons and ammo and he pulled out the picture of him and Sally, and the Mobian doll. Right now, the doll was his best friend and the picture was all he had left of his precious Sally who was thousands of light years away from him.

He stared at Sally's picture. She was smiling at the camera while he was stone-faced. "Boy, was I a stiff." Chris said laughing. He decided to take a nap. Lying back in the pilot's seat, he pulled the Mobian doll next to him. It was his one little piece of comfort to him here. He was all alone, he had nobody to travel with, nobody that loved him, he was alone. That was the last thing that went through his mind as he fell into a deep, painful, dreamless sleep. Now, the hard part began.

Above the sprawling city-planet of Coruscant the _Ebon Hawk_ and the Tornado reappeared. They had stopped at Corellia to pick up some supplies and get a few patch jobs. They flew past the orbital mirrors and were nearly blinded by the sudden flash of blue-yellow light. "_Attention _Ebon Hawk_, this is Coruscant Port Authority. Please state the nature of your visit._" Johnson pressed a button on the panel. "This is the _Ebon Hawk. _We're reading you. We're here on business."

"_OK then, would you please transmit your ID signatures?_" Avery called for Sally to hand NICOLE to him and he said, "ID signatures are heading your way. We have an flight waiver from the Chancellor. Broadcasting that as well." There was silence on the other side for a second. After some mumbling, the voice said, "_I see. Everything seems to be in order. You have permission to land at the Senate Spaceport._" "Thanks much. We have a companion with us." "_He's cleared as well._" "Thanks again. _Ebon Hawk _out."

The freighter and the Tornado cruised into the atmosphere. "_Do you think we should tell the Chancellor about Telos and Malak?_" Tails asked. The Marines could barely see his mouth move from the cockpit of the _Hawk_. Sally said, "Most definitely. The Chancellor probably has no idea about what's happening. Telos is a smoking ball and half the Republic fleet has been destroyed. It should be our top priority." "_Gotcha. We might as well find a place to stay for a little while._" Bunnie leaned against the navicomputer. "How are we gonna pay for it, shugah?" Ryan made a gesture around the cockpit. "Well, we have this well functioning starship here." Sally said, "No Ryan! We need this ship to look for the _Phoenix_, wherever she is. We also need to find the other map pieces."

Ryan turned to looking at the instruments. "What makes you think that she hasn't already found the map pieces?" "That's why I want to find the _Phoenix_ first." Ryan sighed and checked the temperature on the blaster cannons. "So, what can we use to barter?" Rouge smiled and said, "How about this?"

In her hand was the small but very luminous Krayt Dragon Pearl that they found on Tatooine! "Wow! You kept it!" Ryan said amazed. "Yeah, you KEPT it." Sally said folding her arms. "Once a thief, always a thief." Rouge laughed. "You should be thanking me. I am about to make us very rich!" Bunne asked, "Just where did you keep it?" Rouge winked. "That's for me to know and you to guess." Avery and Ryan stared at each other. "Oh, I like her." Johnson said blowing a ring of smoke.

The _Ebon Hawk_ and Tornado landed at the Senate Spaceport. The _Hawk_ bounced as the suspension caught the ship. The Tornado's tires extended and brought the jet fighter to a halt. Techs rushed out to greet the new ships. They hauled tubes and tools. The freighter's ramp extended and the Marines walked out of it. Johnson grabbed the head tech. "Hey, careful with my new baby. There's a scratch on the ship, there's a scratch on your ass." The tech said, "We don't do valet, Captain." "Hey, did you just call me Captain?" "Yes, sir. You are the one flying the ship, are you not?" Johnson laughed. "Oh, that's awesome!"

Tails stepped out of the Tornado and allowed the Republic engineers to take a look at his baby. "Just don't do anything to mess her up, capeesh, boys?" The nodded and got to work. Sally walked up behind him. "We can get a bit settled in before we travel to the Temple." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You OK, Miles?" Tails sniffled. "I can't believe he's gone." Sally kept it in. She had practiced on the way here. "I know. Chris was a good man as much of an idiot he was. You just need to forget about him now."

Tails shrugged her hand off. "You still love him." He said looking at her. Blue met blue. "No I don't. I told you after we left I was over him." Tails shook his head though. "You're lying to yourself. You need to make peace. Chris may be dead but you need to still love him. I still love him as a friend. He was one of the best friends I ever had."

She thought back. Chris had taken Tails on his first space flight. It had been "unauthorized" but the joy in the fox's face after they landed was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. She was fooling herself. She _did_ still love him, but he was dead. There was no point in mucking around in the past.

"I'm sorry, Tails." She said. Prower turned around. His features were light. They hugged each other tightly. "It's OK, Aunt Sally." That made her tear up slightly. It had been years since she had been called that. Tails had lost his parents when he was young and she cared for him as an aunt would to a nephew. She ruffled his hair. "Come on, kid. We better get you to that Temple." Tails nodded and looked towards the spires of the famed Jedi Temple as they jutted into the sky with the beautifying scene of the system sun setting behind the mountain of buildings.

The _Leviathan_ was alive with activity. The latest of these prison breaks made Lord Malak hit the roof. Here and there, the Dark Lord authorized immediate killings of such simple rule infractions, random locker searches each week, among much other things. There was very little Karath could do to stop the excess discipline. Malak was simply angry that his number one convict had managed to slip away again! This time he got off! Now, in the darkness of the bridge, four robed figures were on one knee.

"As you know, my acolytes, the human has escaped me. He has vital information that is key to our success in this campaign. Your orders are simple. I wish you to seek the boy out. Kill him and his friends! I want nothing to stand in the way of our victory!" The acolytes bowed. The one in front said, "Of course, master. We will return to you when the job has completed." "Then leave me." Malak said turning towards the viewport. The acolytes nodded and turned to leave. _Not this time, boy. You have no idea who you are up against_.


	16. Chapter 15: The Hermit

Chapter 15: The Hermit

November 10th, 3235, 0756 hours

T-400 Droid Freighter

Hyperspace

Chris awoke on his third day in Hyperspace. The Marine Captain yawned and stretched widely. He said, "Good Morning!" to nobody in particular. He had grown more comfortable living on his own in this ship. The first tow days he had played games with himself, trying to see if any of the shapes that were formed in Hyperspace resembled any animals. He had also tried to tune into the galactic news network, HoloNet. He had caught garbles of it but nothing coherent. Obviously he would have to drop out of Hyperspace and try to pick up a signal there, if he knew how to drop this baby out, or even disengage the autopilot. He missed Tails.

Chris had also developed a cough on the second day. He was unsure what caused it but he assumed that it was the cold air near the viewport. He tried to turn the heaters on and wondered if that would work. So far, so good.

The alien food on this tub wasn't too bad at all. Some fruit even seemed to resemble those that he would find in the Earth Universe. Pity not all of the food tasted like the stuff from back home. He had also found a lot of bread and water. He assumed that there was supposed to be a human pilot in here or something but he had taken his spot. Why did the Sith need a droid freighter? He didn't see any robots in the cargo hold and they were definitely not delivering something. So why the fancy ship taking off?

Chris needed to talk to someone. He tried talking to the computer but all it did was sputter useless garbage and preprogrammed responses like "_Please remain seated in the event of a crash landing_." Or "_The refresher is used for waste processing only_." No kidding, it actually said that. With the only other talking voice on this ship a complete computer, the only thing he could talk to was the doll. Chris was not insane and was well aware that the doll couldn't talk, but he needed to make sure his mouth got a workout.

"You OK there, Doll?" he asked with a hint of laughter. Of course the stuffed fox anthro did not answer. Its sewn on blue eyes stared vacantly out the window and into space. Chris kept a straight face. "Let me know if you need anything." The doll stayed silent. "OK, your call." Chris sat down at the cockpit chair and looked at the picture of Sally and him. He laughed because he looked like a dork back then and didn't have any friends.

Well that was half true of course. He did have friends before Mobius, but they were all dead by now, if they were lucky. It happened on Talahan V, the planet where the Second Rainforest War erupted. His entire squad was killed except him. His pal since childhood Charles Madison suffered a slow and painful death by shrapnel wounds.

Chris shook his head clear. It was not good to think of the past. His entire life was filled with pain. _Boo-Hoo, the universe hates you!_ He said to himself. He averted his thoughts and now looked at the beeping display in front of him. "What the hell…?" He said aloud. "Sorry, Doll. Pardon my French." He looked at the Aurebesh letters. He vaguely made them out to read, "Engine Failure". "Great." Chris said. All at once, the tunnel of blue light reverted to a star field and a green planet appeared below him. It seemed that the computer was plotting a course to land on this planet, wherever he was.

The Captain could only make out two moons but he suspected there were more from faint glistening in the dark. The green planet seemed to be tropical. It had to with all that vegetation. The tiny shuttle grew closer and he saw a sight that made him shudder. Just above the planet was a swarm of ships. According to the scanners, all of them belonged to Czerka Corporation. Chris was unsure if Czerka had forgotten about them or if a bounty was still on their heads. Regardless, the freighter glided past them and went into the atmosphere. A few minutes later, the Captain gasped.

All around him were gigantic trees. Every one of them shot into the sky. Birds of all sorts took flight and soared into the sky. "What in God's name!" he said surprised. The ship started to decelerate and slowly sink downwards. Tree branches snapped and fell as the T-400 made its way towards the forest floor.

Through the cockpit, the already dark sky was growing darker as the forest canopy enveloped them. He saw the shapes of something move in the dark. They seemed man shaped but he couldn't be sure with them swinging in the trees.

About five minutes later, the freighter touched down. The Captain held on as the ship bounced. The computer stated "_Please repair engine at once._" "OK, OK shut up!" The Captain said. He grabbed the doll and put it into his bag. He had a feeling he was going to need a comfort object. He grabbed his Desert Eagle and slapped a magazine into it. He racked the slide and put his UNSC cap on his head. "We're about to explore a new world, Doll." He pressed the hatch release and stepped out onto the forest floor.

The place was real dark. Not much of the moonlight penetrated the canopy and bathed the ground in scattered white glows. A few insects flew overhead and he heard the screams of animals. He saw a small simian-like creature crawl from the undergrowth. It looked cute. "Hey little guy!" Chris said holding his hand out, pursing his lips and making kissing noises to attract the animal. The creature thought the Human was safe and waddled up to him. It made a back flip and cooed. "Oh, you're cute."

Suddenly, the creature was on all fours and running down what seemed to be a footpath. "Aw, too bad." Chris said. He looked behind him and tried to mentally remember where his ship was, and then he started down the path. His watch said 0820 but it was nearly midnight on this planet. He was wide-awake though. He was walking for ten more minutes before he realized he was slightly hungry. "Oh, can't you wait until I find someone to help us?" he said to his stomach, which was rumbling. Ah, who was he kidding? Nobody was down here. Nobody except those ape things, and by the looks of this place he didn't want to be near them. Suddenly, there was a light up ahead. Chris walked towards it wondering if it was a trick of the light. But when he got even closer, he discovered that it was in fact, a fire. And what was even more impressive, there seemed to be a human sitting near it.

He ran towards him, hoping that he could help. "Excuse me!" he called. Before he could do anything else, the man jumped up, drew a weapon and activated it. A bar of green light sprouted from the hilt. At first the Marine halted. He was scared of the blade since he associated it with Malak. But on close inspection, he noted that it was not the color of blood as the Dark Lord's was, but it was emerald green. Chris rubbed his eyes. He had found a Jedi Knight!

The man who seemed to be ancient shut his lightsaber off. "What do you think you're doing, dammit? Sneaking up on an old man like that!" Chris shrugged. "I'm sorry, Mr. Jedi, ah, sir." The old man gave a dry laugh, which led to a cough. "I'm not a Jedi, and don't call me sir, it makes me feel old."

Chris was confused. "But you have a lightsaber." "Since when does having a lightsaber make me a Jedi, sonny?" Chris shrugged. The old man sat down. He seemed surprised to see someone, as if he'd been down here all his life. "What's your name, kid?" Chris said, "My name is Chris. Captain Chris Vennettilli." He left out the UNSC. He didn't want to confuse the old man.

"Captain, eh? You military or something like that?" Chris nodded. "Yeah. I'm a Marine." "Easy, boy! I didn't ask for your life story!" He motioned towards another stump. "Sit down, you look ragged." Chris graciously took the stump. "What's you name, sir?" The old man smiled. "Name's Jolee Bindo. This here is my little slice of paradise." He laughed again.

"Seriously?" Chris asked. "Sure, wouldn't you think so? After all I've seen I think this is as close to paradise as I'm gonna get!" Chris stared into the fire, happy for its warmth. "That your ship that came down?" Bindo asked. "Yes and no." Jolee had a sly look in his eye. "Is it stolen?" "No, I'm not even flying the god damned thing." The old man laughed, showing many surprisingly white teeth. "You have a smart mouth kid. You having engine trouble?"

"Yeah, how did you-" "How do you think I got here? Poof, magic?" "I didn't mean that. Err…how long have you been here, Jolee?" Bindo thought about it for a little while. "Erm, twenty years. Give or take." Chris was impressed. "Crash?" "You catch on quick Captain." Chris had the feeling he was slightly insulted. "I need repairs. Do you know anybody who can help me?"

Jolee turned to look at the young man, his black skin accented by the fire. "Do I known anybody, I do. Will they be willing to give you anything? Not a damn chance, heh, heh, heh." Chris said, "Can I get any details?" "Yes you can. You're familiar with Czerka Corporation?" Chris scowled. "We've met." "Nasty?" "Tatooine. Nearly blasted us out of the sky." Jolee said, "'us'? You have friends here?" "No, I escaped from some bad people. I made it on my own." Bindo asked, "Your friends?" "Got out before me." The Captain said. "Who were the people who held you hostage?" "A group of people called the Sith."

Jolee froze. He dropped his lightsaber to the ground and he bent to pick it up. "The Sith?! They're back?" "Back?" Chris asked. "Yes, back! Don't tell me you've never heard of the Great Sith War with Exar Kun!" "I've heard the name before but I've never heard the story."

Jolee almost seemed glad to talk to someone. "Well let me tell you about the war. It was about forty years ago and a group of evil Jedi Knight called the Sith had emerged from whatever hole they had crawled out from in the galaxy. Of course they weren't the species called the Sith, but a cult which followed them-" "There's a cult?" Chris interrupted. "Shush, young-un! I'm trying to tell a story!"

"Anyway where was I? Oh yes, the Sith Cult! Nice try, I'm not that old yet." Jolee laughed again. "Anyway, there was this one Jedi Knight named Exar Kun, one of the finest Jedi Knights the Republic had ever seen. He had two friends named Ulic Quel Droma and Nomi Sunrider. Oh, Sundrider. It's been years since I've seen her. Fine lass she was. Very cute and funny, swirling hair, oh and a body to match her personality…" "Uh…Exar Kun, Jolee." Bindo snapped out of his distant gaze. "Oh right. Lost myself there for a second. NO MORE INTERRUPTIONS! I'm old, dammit! I need time to think, not to have my ear bitten off by some child. Now listen well and hold your bladder. This is a non-stop trip."

Jolee spent what felt like hours talking about the war. Chris was barely struggling to stay awake. Twice he caught himself nodding his head in the air. This didn't seem to stop Bindo though who was now into full swing storytelling mode. By the time Jolee finished his talk about Exar Kun with his defeat (which was his death) at the hands of the Jedi, Chris glanced at his watch. It was 1115 hours! He had been talking for over two hours straight! Jolee sat back. "Did I bore you, son?" "No, not at all." Chris lied.

Jolee laughed. "Oh hoh! I see! I may not be a Jedi but I still know a nodder when I see one." Chris was slightly embarrassed. "I did hear some parts. How do you think this compares with Malak?" Jolee sighed and dropped his gaze. "I knew Malak when he was still on our side. He was a charming boy when he was on the path to be a Jedi. Revan, his teacher was power-hungry. He was always the best in everything growing up, games, competitions, you name it, and he's done it." He bit something that he'd been roasting over his fire. "I think something happened to him in training. Something made him, and Malak snap. Make them turn to the Dark Side."

Jolee said, "So where are you from, son?" Chris' eyes darted from left to right. He needed to figure out something. "Don't bother giving me any lies, Captain. It's not going to work. That's right I can tell what you're thinking." The Marine gulped. Perhaps the truth was best.

Chris spent an equal amount of time talking about Earth and his travels to Mobius. Jolee stopped him all the time asking him questions about whatever he found difficult to understand. Chris shook his head _Elderly. What a burden_.

After the Captain's tale was complete Jolee said, "Wow. That's real interesting." Chris cocked his head. "You don't believe me?" Jolee said, "Of course I believe you! It sounds too crazy to make up!" He pointed to Chris. "You need to find a way home, don't you? That's through finding this map, huh?" "That's the size of it, old man." Jolee's eyes dated back and forth. "Maybe I could help you." Chris actually laughed. "Yeah, maybe." "Of course I can! Do you think I'm just a crotchety old hermit? I can pull my weight in a fight!" "But you said you aren't a Jedi!" Jolee said, "Bah! Just because I _say_ I'm not a Jedi doesn't mean that I wasn't _trained_ to be a Jedi!" Chris said, "Who in the world could figure that out?" "Evidently not you!" Chris covered his heart. "That hurts, Bindo. That hurts me real bad."

"I know, suck it in! Just so happens I know where you might be able to get some help." "Oh really?" "Yeah really! There's a spot in this forest that Czerka Corporation uses to land their ships and repair them. It's much better and remote than using the orbital station. Also, they take the time to do some illegal game hunting down here." "Can anyone do anything about it?" "I'm talking slavery, boy! Don't you listen? This planet, called Kashyyyk, is home to a species of aliens called wookiees." "I've heard of them before." "Have you now? That's interesting." "It's too complicated. Go on."

"Right. Anyway, slavery is illegal, so they come down here, shoot or imprison some of them, then sell them for a profit on the black market! Their commander, a burly bantha of a man named Greay is the brains behind their little landing site. I've tried going over and talking to the man but it seems that his ego killed and ate his common sense!" Jolee gave a hearty laugh. Chris sputtered a laugh at the old man's choice of words.

Once he recovered himself, the Captain asked, "So what do you want me to do about it?" "Not you, sonny. _Us_." Chris blinked. "Us? Don't you think I should buy you dinner first, Jolee?" Bindo chortled. "No, I'll explain. In case you haven't noticed I'm not as young as I used to be! I can't do it on my own. You're that little piece of hope I've been waiting for. Hopefully Greay's goons haven't heard you coming down. And even if he did, he'll probably just be his bone-headed self and assume it's just another Czerka shuttle."

"Have you dealed with Greay before, Jolee?" the old man said, "I sure have, boy. About two weeks ago when he first landed that bucket of a ship in this forest, I marched straight up to him and demanded he leave. Naturally, Greay, with the IQ of a Coruscant granite slug, shooed me off like a child. 'Get out of here old man, you'll hurt yourself.' He said, or something like that. Now I kept on pestering Greay with hopes that he would just leave me along. Heh, an old man's stubbornness is a deadly thing! Greay actually walked up to my hut here one day and held a blaster to my face. I don't think he noticed my lightsaber here and started screaming curses at my face. Dirtiest mouth you've ever…" He grumbled to himself for a while.

"Where was I…oh yeah! He made a little fit here where you're sitting and trampled my flowers there!" Jolee pointed towards. "Part of me died in that one swift, well blunt, movement of the foot. This entire world is a garden, kid. To do even such a thing such as trample a few flowers, you're hurting this world. Greay failed to realize that and now I think he needs a little lesson in humility." "So you want me to hurt him?" Chris said pulling out the Desert Eagle.

"No, I just want to send him a message to stay out of my forest. I need two men for that. Maybe you'd like to meet my business associate?" Chris shrugged. "Sure. Let's meet him."

"Watch your step, sonny. This forest plays tricks on you. Branches and vines where there should be grass, sinkholes where there should be outcroppings." Chris walked behind Jolee. "Sinkholes?" "Relax, there aren't any around here. Anyway we're almost there."

The two men walked a little further until they reached a clearing. There was a roar up ahead. "What's that?" "Oh, that's Freyyr. He's a little temperamental." "Tempermental? How so?" "Well, about twenty years ago Freyyr was exiled from his community. They called him 'Mad Claw, Mad Claw!' What that means is a wookie who uses his claw to attack another wookiee. Disgraces a wookiee something fierce." Chris shuffled at the roar. "Is he insane?" Jolee mumbled, "Well, borderline anyway. Keep up, boy! At the rate you're moving, a tach would eat you."

Freyyr was a large wookiee at best. Standing at over six feet tall, he could easily go toe-to-toe with a SPARTAN, and possibly come out on top. He stood up growling as he saw the old man approach. "Easy, Freyyr. It's Jolee! I brought a friend with me!" He pointed to Chris who nervously waved. Freyyr barked and roared. Chris cocked his head. "What did he say?" Jolee looked at him. "I could give you a direct translation but it would burn your ears off. Basically, he doesn't like you." "Good. I'm not here to be liked." The wookiee growled. "He seems to support that."

Jolee translated whatever Freyyr said to Chris. This would be the case until the Captain got his hand on a translation device. Bindo talked to Freyyr about his latest plan. The wookiee was still twitchy from his exile but he attentively listened. Your plan is a risky one, Jolee. Freyyr said. How can you be sure that Czerka won't just shoot me on the spot? "Because we have him, old friend." The ex-jedi said. "Do you know what we're going to do?" Yes. "Well then, no time for dawdling now. Let's get moving, I feel my arthritis kicking in!"

Jolee and Chris split up. Freyyr was paired with the human. Chris realized that the wookiee wasn't crazy at all. He was just a little misunderstood. Sure, he punched a few corporate employees out but it was worth the privacy. Chris couldn't understand the wookiee language but Freyyr could pantomime whatever he needed him to say. It was like a game of charades.

The clearing was up ahead. The Czerka shuttle was parked in the very center with its wings folded upwards. The Corporate symbol was easily readable. Freyyr snorted in disgust. "You don't like them?" He asked. The alien shook his head with a grunt. "Why?" Freyyr made a movement with his arm like he had a gun and pointed to himself and all around him. "They're shooting all of you? I thought it was just slavery!" Freyyr shook his head. "Well, don't worry, my friend. We're about to get them back."

Commander Greay stood in the distance. He was wearing the uniform of a Czerka corporate officer. "Quit slacking, you two." He ordered two other employees. "We need to gat that "Shipment" into orbit." "You got it, Commander!" Greay shook his head. "Idiots." He averted his gaze and looked towards two approaching figures. "Well, well! Look who decided to visit the Shadowlands!" The human and his wookiee slave stopped just in front of them.

"You're Commander Greay?" "At your service sir. What are you doing down here?" the young man smiled. "I heard I could do business with you." Greay smiled. He liked "business". "You have a wookiee! Is he your slave?" "Yes he is. He's been very useful to me over the years and I think that he's had his fill." "You're not considering a lifedebt are you, sir?" "Wouldn't dream of it."

Chris had absolutely no idea what a lifedebt was. He was only trying to make conversation with Greay to stall him and his crew from looking behind. Jolee was actually sneaking into the camp from behind and was trying to find suitable replacements for the T-400's engines. Whenever he found a good piece, he lifted it out with the Force and placed it in a hiding place.

Meanwhile, Chris was still trying to stall Greay. Freyyr was looking over his shoulder at the place where Jolee was searching. The old man was still rummaging through crates looking for intricate gears, fuel rods, and coolant valves. "Does he do tricks?" Greay asked. "We could be shipping him to a circus or something." "Does he do tricks!" Chris repeated in a humored tone. "Uh…sure, he does a lot of things!" Greay's assistants came up behind him. "Yeah, like what?" the one on the right asked. _Think, Marine, think! This is bullshit! You were trained for combat duties and wartime protocols, not having a walking carpet do tricks like a dog!_ "Uh, he can do impersonations!" Freyyr caught the drift and imitated singing. It was not pretty to hear a wookiee sing. The assistants, who were a few fries short of a Happy Meal, actually went 'ooh!' after hearing this. Greay wasn't amused. "And just what was that supposed to be?" Chris was sweating under his cap. "That was…A wookiee opera singer! There's one every other month on Coruscant!" Greay's eyebrows shot up. "Really! I'll have to see that next time I'm there!"

Jolee kept rummaging around in the crates. The Captain needed so many damned things! Why the _hell_ couldn't he have just brought back the spare parts? Oh yeah, he was imprisoned. _I hate my brain_. Jolee thought. He found the last piece they needed. He gave the thumbs up to Chris and made a bird call to the sky.

Freyyr heard the call and began his part of the plan. He roared loudly and pushed Chris aside. The Captain grunted as he was flung to the forest floor. Some sharp rocks on the ground cut his back and made him gasp in pain. Regardless, he went on with the plan in character. "What the hell?!" He said it so convincingly that the Czerka employees couldn't tell in the slightest. The massive mountain of fur stepped over his body and roared in defiance. Claws shot out of his fist like Wolverine from an ancient movie called X-Men. "WATCH IT, HE'S GONE MAD!" The Czerka employees cried out and drew their blasters. "DON'T DO THAT THAT JUST MAKES HIM MAD!" Chris yelled, still acting. The assistants got the idea and turned to run. Greay was a little hesitant and fired two shots at Freyyr. The bolts caught the wookiee in the shoulder. Chris gasped.

Suddenly, real anger came from the creature. This roar shook even the canopy. Freyyr charged forward and lifted Greay into the air. The officer screamed as the wookiee tossed him nearly thirty feet. He hit the ground and rolled for a few more feet. Greay got up shaking and stared at the wookiee who roared defiantly at him. Chris actually grabbed the leash that was supposed to be for show. "Freyyr! Calm down!" He said. Then, he put on the charm again. "He's calling his friends! The Mad Claws are coming!"

This got Greay up and running at once. One wookiee was bad enough. An entire bunch of them was just bad news. "Take off! This place isn't safe anymore!" The ship started up. Chris ran forward. "Hey! What about me?!" Greay looked at him from the closing hatch. "You're on your own kid!" Chris put on his best angry face. "You're a two-timing bastard, Greay! I hope your sorry carcass rots in hell!"

The Czerka shuttle rose at a fast rate. It angled its thrusters and sped off into the forest. He waited until the shuttle was completely out of earshot before he started laughing. "That was too easy!" Chris laughed. Freyyr also tossed his head back and let out a wookiee laugh. "Great job, sonny! You did it!" Jolee said running towards him. He had a smile as big as a banana.

Bindo clapped Chris on the shoulder. "I have to admit, you seemed genuinely angry! I was scared." The Captain laughed. "Lots of practice." Jolee nodded and looked at the wookiee. "Are you OK, Old Friend?" It is nothing, Jolee. "Are you sure?"

I said I am fine. Bindo raised his palms in defense. "Alright, fine."

It turned out the Czerka goons had rushed out of the area so quickly that they had left all of their cargo behind. Chris, Jolee and Freyyr carried the crates back to the ship and loaded them onboard. "Sure you don't want any, old man?" "Hmph! I've been eating forest food for 20 years. I don't know if I'm ready to eat any civilized food." Chris placed it in the cargo hold and slapped his hands, glancing at the calluses that were forming. "Yes, that feels good!"

Jolee said, "You gonna need help on that engine?" "You bet." Chris said. "You up to it, Jolee?" "What are you kidding? I can still move a hydrospanner as if I were 20 years younger!" "That still makes you older than my grandfather!"

The next three straight days were spent repairing the ship. It was crash course mechanics since they continuously fucked up their repairs here and there. Jolee and Chris installed pieces, found out they didn't work, and replace them again. Even Freyyr came by from time to time so see how it was going. Eventually they got the thing up and running.

"OK, try her out!" Jolee said from the outside wiping some grease from his hands. Chris activated the engine controls and sent the signals to the fuel coils. Immediately the dials all went green and the engines activated. A soft blue glow came from them. Chris kept the thing grounded and turned the ship off.

"Yeah, baby!" The Captain said clapping his hands. He walked down the ramp. "No I can get out of here." What's that supposed to mean, Human? Freyyr asked. "He doesn't mean it, Freyyr. He has some friends to look for." The wookiee gave a mournful grunt. In that case, Human, may Bacca guide your hand in the stars. Chris didn't understand who Bacca was. "Thank you, Freyyr." Captain, I have something to ask, if you find my son, Zaalbar, tell him his father misses him. Chris nodded. "I promise." He shook hands with the wookiee.

"OK, I'm ready to head out!" Chris said hooking his bag over his shoulder. "I still have no idea where this crate is going to take me, but I'm ready for a little ride." Jolee started towards him. "Well, you're not leaving without me." Chris took a double take. "Who, whoa! No way, old man! The galaxy is too dangerous."

"Haven't you learned anything, sonny? I've been on this rock for twenty years. Time for a change of scenery! You understand what I'm trying to put across?" Chris shrugged. "Listen, Chris. I may be old and wrinkled, but I can see something inside of you. It's destiny." "Destiny." Chris said flatly. "Destiny! Come on, kid! I sense it, shouldn't that be enough for you?" "No, surprisingly it's not."

"Bah! Damn the youth! Listen, I can sense something within you. You have a destiny mapped out ahead of you. We all do. It just so happens that your destiny is at the end of your path. Your friends, your enemies are all apart of it. You just need to make the right choices to get there. I am offering you my help. If you accept, I will travel with you. Look on the other hand, you'll run out of magazines eventually."

Chris had to accept the cold, hard fact that he was right. Chris _did_ believe he had a destiny. He had known that ever since fate had placed him on the _Indomitable_ over a year ago. The old man was right. He was also going to need help and company, wherever he was going.

"OK, Jolee. Welcome aboard." Jolee smiled and skipped. "Thought you'd see it my way, son. Let's get this tub in space!"

The two men sat in the pilot and copilot seats. Chris did the preflight check. Jolee strapped in. "It feels good to be back in the hot seat." He breathed. "I'm just glad if we're nowhere around the Sith." The old man laughed. "I hear you on that one, sonny." Chris stopped his check and stared into space. "Hey Jolee, I've got the feeling I'm not supposed to take you away from here." Bindo shrugged. "I don't think it's important." "Seriously, old man. Little red flag is going up here."

Bindo laughed. This geezer was full of yuks. "What did I tell you about destiny?" Chris tossed his hands up. "Oh Jesus, here he goes again!" "Then maybe you should keep your mouth shut then, sonny! I'm in your future and I have to do this!" "Still…" he began. "Did I ever tell you about the time-" "No! No! Stop talking now!" Jolee grinned and stared straight ahead. "Still got it!"

The engines fired up. The T-400 lifted off the ground. "Come on, baby." Chris pleaded. He didn't want to be stuck on this rock for 20 years just like Jolee. "Relax, kid. We did a half-assed job." Chris looked at him. "Look who's talking, Mr. Hermit, who hasn't seen a woman in two decades!" "That's harsh, boy." Jolee said. The Captain's troubles seemed to go unfounded as the freighter sped even higher. They broke through the canopy and sped into the sky.

Jolee stared as the trees fell away from them. "You OK?" Chris asked. "You know what it feels like, huh? Leaving a place you've known for so long?" He nodded. "Yeah. When I left Earth for the first time, I felt the same way. I was 6 years old when I went on my first spaceflight."

They exited the atmosphere and made a run for the edge of Kashyyyk's gravity well. They passed the Czerka fleet again but they seemed friskier. Greay probably told them about the little issue on the surface. Nothing they could do about it now. "You think Czerka's going to pull out?" The Captain asked scanning the controls. "Nah, Czerka needs to exploit a world that could have shown promise. They won't leave Kashyyyk for a little while."

The freighter activated her engines and blasted into hyperspace. Within seconds the stars turned from fiery streaks to the long, deep blue tunnel of Hyperspace. Jolee exhaled, taking in the sound of the engines. He noticed the picture taped to the windshield for the first time. Bindo leaned forwards and tapped it with a wrinkled finger. "Is that your girlfriend?" he asked. The young woman in the picture was beautiful, but she wasn't human. "She is. You have a problem with that, old man?"

Jolee said, "No I don't. Love is an expression that can be spread across the universe no matter what planet you come from or what race you are." Jolee then pointed to Chris in uniform. "You on the other hand are a stiff. Heh, heh." Chris smiled and returned to watching Hyperspace. The young man glanced at his watch. 1417. Maybe it was time for a nap. "She is beautiful, you know." Jolee said. "You are very lucky. You know what they say: you only find love once."

Chris lied back on the chair and stared at the ceiling. Jolee was right. You _did _only find love once, and he blew it. If Sally was out there, would she have him again? Chris took out the doll and placed it beside him, hoping the ex-Jedi wouldn't see it. He fell asleep again with the same, sad though. _I want to go home_.


	17. Chapter 16: Manaan

Chapter 16: Manaan

November 17th, 3235, 1216 hours

In Hyperspace

T-400 Droid Freighter

The Captain cracked his eyes open on his fourth day of interstellar flight. The blue tunnel of Hyperspace still extended onward in the distance. Glancing at his watch, he discovered that he overslept again. That was his _fourth_ day running! The Marine was still getting used to not having someone or something to control when he got up. It had been three long years since that. But it felt so _good_ to be his own man again. He reclined in his seat and knitted his hands behind his head. He exhaled deeply staring at the ceiling.

Looking to his side, he discovered Jolee sprawled over his seat snoring deeply. The old man did nothing but sleep all these days. Every time he woke us he yelled something like "What year is this?!" for instance. Chris laughed though. He enjoyed having the man along. If the young man had to be forced to endure another few days alone in this can, he would have gone insane long before now.

The Captain took a shower using the refresher. After Kashyyyk, he felt that another stink had stayed with him, much like the stink on Dxun oh…over a month now! Has it been that long? He contemplated his time spent in this universe under the running of the hot water. He had a thought about how much longer he needed to stay here. He needed to find the guys or a map piece. But he sadly discovered that he needed to find the guys to decode that map. He hit his head off the shower wall and moaned in remorse.

Chris returned to the cockpit a while later. Jolee still wasn't awake and was mumbling in his sleep. It was rambling about some old girlfriend he knew so Chris didn't bother to listen on. The Captain sat down in the pilot's seat and tapped a few controls checking hyperdrive operation and hull integrity; still nothing to worry about. Suddenly, the console beeped and a message announced that the hyperspace jump was ending.

Jolee sat straight up. "I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ON!" He blinked a few times and yawned deeply, cracking vertebrae in his spine and knuckles. Chris winced. They sounded wet when he did it. "Oh. 'Morning, sonny." Jolee said. "'Afternoon, Jolee." Chris said back giving him a two finger salute. "Afternoon? How long has this old man slept?" Chris looked at his watch. "You slept 14 hours yesterday. It's about one in the afternoon." "Ugh, dammit! I'm getting too old! I need more sleep all the time. Heh, I'd better not be surprised if I sleep for twenty years now!" Chris smiled.

The tunnel disappeared and the stars streaked back into view. Below them was a blue planet. It had no moons and there was nothing but water. "OH! Look! It's Manaan!" Jolee said excitedly pointing a wrinkled finger at the sphere. "Manaan?" "Yeah, kid! It's a water plant! Oceans as far as the eye can see. No landmasses whatsoever." Chris actually said, "Wow." It's true that in the Earth universe, there were oceanic planets with the majority of the surface covered by water, they haven't found one yet covered 100 percent in the liquid.

"Manaan is a curious world. I hope you know what kolto is, huh?" Chris nodded. "Yeah, I know what kolto is. I've used it a few times." "Well then, you're in for a treat! Manaan is the only place in the galaxy where kolto is produced naturally. Bubbles up from the bottom of the sea and the natives collect it. They sell to the Republic and anyone else who needs it.

"The native creatures of this planet are called Selkath. Fish-heads as they're nicknamed, heh, heh, heh! They built this floating city known as Ahto, very big. Anyway the Selkath try to keep law and order on this planet. You so much as spit in the wrong direction they'll lock you up and possibly kill you!" "You're kidding." "I'm not! The Selkath could do things that would make the Republic Guard flinch!" He stared at Chris's slack-jawed face. "Well, they are good hosts though! They will treat you with respect so long as you respect the law." Chris turned back to the city. "This place is _worse _than New York."

The T-400 cut through the sky, descending to the surface of the city. Gleaming towers jutted up into the sky where tourists probably stayed. Fishing craft departed the city and skimmed across the surface of the water scooping up fishes from the ocean. "Looks like a tight setup." Chris said with a smile tugging at his lips. "Wait, this ship is automated." He noted. Jolee joked, "Just noticed that now, huh?" "Shut up, old man. I mean that this place was preprogrammed into the navicomputer. That means that this craft or whoever was supposed to fly it had to do _something_ here." Jolee thought about it. "Well, the only thing I can think of is the kolto." Then, the ex-jedi froze. _There it is_. The Marine thought. "Oh no. The Sith is building up on kolto! And if I know the Sith, they're doing it illegally."

"Well then, let's tell the authorities! Tie them up and throw them into the ocean!" "Heh, I like that one. But that's a good idea. As soon as we land we can do something about that. Maybe we can get some information while we're here, ask about your friends or your ship. Could be down here, there are certainly landing pads large enough."

The freighter banked as it approached the landing pads, one of the many "sinkholes" in Ahto City's skin. The stolen ship twirled around on its own account and nudged towards an open bay with thrusters. A blue symbol was positioned over the bay. "Oh no…" Chris muttered. "What is it? Jolee asked. The captain pointed at the symbol. "I saw something like that on Karath's ship, the _Leviathan_. The old man said, "Well, if you recognize it, that's not really good news is it, sonny?"

The droid ship touched down and bounced. "Just let me clear up a few things and-" but Jolee grabbed his ear and pulled him away. Chris yelped in pain and managed to grab Sally's picture, his bag, and the doll. They went inside the cargo hold and waited. The door cycled open and Chris aimed his pistol at the threshold. "Wait, son." Jolee said lowering Chris' Desert Eagle. "What are you doing, Bindo?" "Look!"

A droid scurried up the ramp. It was a protocol droid, with two luminous lights cutting through the dark. Chris was unnerved by the eyes. It reminded him of the Zerg. His nervous shuffle made the droid spin around. "Oh my! Who's there?" Jolee slapped Chris in the back of the head. "Nice going!" He whispered angrily. "I'll handle this." He stood up to walk forward. "You hit me!" Chris hissed rubbing the back of his head.

"Excuse me, can you help us?" He asked the droid. Jolee was thankful that the robot wasn't armed but that didn't mean that it wasn't a threat. "Yes sir. May I ask what you are doing on this ship?" _Just a little white lie; don't raise your baritone, Jolee_, he thought to himself. "Yes, we're the crew of this ship, we've had a little trouble getting here and we may have had some trouble with the flight." "Trouble, sir?" The droid asked helpfully. "Yes, but we're fine now. Say, do you know who owns this ship?" "This is a T-400 Droid Freighter owned and operated by the New Sith Empire. Why would I need to tell you that though, sir?" _NEW Sith Empire?!_

"Oh I see, just my old head playing tricks with me! When were the Sith so numerous here on Manaan?" "I cannot say for sure, I am not programmed for such information. I can conclude that a Sith presence has been established on Manaan for the past seven standard days." Jolee cocked an eyebrow in real curiosity. "Why?" "It is because of the neutrality agreement, sir. The Sith and the hostile Republic Forces have set up an equal trade agreement of kolto by order of the Ahto City Judicial Office. Neither can attack the other under punishment of their faction being expelled from Manaan or the Selkath restricting kolto shipment throughout the galaxy. Surely you must know all this, sir?"

"Yeah. One other thing? Can you err…forget you saw me and my friend?" "Your copilot? Oh, I don't know if I am inclined to, sir. I am to submit a report after-" Jolee held out his arm and the droid shuddered. "WARNING…EXTERNAL TAMPERMENT 6TTAM/HHG—GT113 MEMORY DATABASE!! EXCEPTION!! REBOOT! REBOOT!"

The droid slumped for a second and was active once more. It's eyes glowed a friendly orange and it said with a cheery voice, "Good afternoon, sirs! I am C-6119, Protocol Droid to the Sith Empire! How may I serve you today?" "Let's go." Jolee said. Chris followed him. "You are good, old man." Chris said pointing a complementing finger towards him. "Thank you, I know." The droid waved to them. "Have a good day, sirs!" it said before humming and returning to its task of prepping the freighter for its return flight.

There was one guard standing by the door. "Hey, who the hell are you?" he asked before Bindo swiped his hand. "Uh…" he said unconsciously. "You've been expecting us. If anybody asks you, we have clearance from your superiors to be here." The guard snapped to attention and saluted with his hand touching his black visor "Yes sir. We've been expecting you. You've already got clearance so you're good from here. I'll just feed that into the computer now…there we go. Anything else I can do for you, sir?"

"Yes, I believe I've lost my credits. I don't know if you've found them…?" The guard shivered. "Yes. I have, sir. How many did you lose again?" Jolee thought about it. "Ah, it was enough to pay the docking fee." "Alright then, fifty credits." "Actually come to think of it, there was a little more. About twenty-five more. I was going to buy my wife a present." "Right then, seventy-five." "Thank you, sonny. You've helped an old man out!" The guard handed over the credits. They exited the docking bay.

"You don't have a wife do you, Jolee?" "Haven't seen her for twenty years but yeah I do." "What's the extra 25 for if the docking fee's only 50 credits?" "Spending money, kid!" Chris tipped his hat. "Maybe you took it a little too far on that dude back there?" "Maybe, but he'll get over it."

The door that led to the main city was in the center of the docking ring. The being sitting behind the desk was a creature Chris had to guess was a Selkath. The alien had fish eyes and twin lobes hanging from its mouth. When it saw them approach, it stroked the lobes and blinked its filmy eyes three times. It spoke with a liquid accenting, as if water were actually inside its throat, which the UNSC Captain highly suspected.

Regardless of his time spent on the _Leviathan_, Chris couldn't understand what this being was saying. Thankfully, Jolee could. "He says welcome to Manaan. He understands Basic or English to you." Chris leaned on the table. "I'm sorry sir, I can't understand you." The Selkath stroked its lobes again and reached under the counter. The device in its slender fingers was roughly conical in shape and was designed to fit over a Human ear. "That's a translator, sonny. You put it in your ear and you'll be able to understand any language spoken to you."

Chris accepted the translator and put it over his left ear. The gargling language was now clear but still with slight accenting. "Do you understand me now, Human?" Chris nodded. "I do. Thank you very much." "No thanks are required, human." He turned to Jolee. "Now, we must cover the issue of the docking fee." Jolee smiled. "Right. How much do I owe you? 50?" The Selkath nodded and blinked. "That seems the correct amount, human. Pay in cash and in full." Jolee handed over the 50 credits. "Thank you, humans. The gates of Ahto City are open to you. Remember to behave and keep the peace, otherwise you will not be allowed to return."

The city was very spacious. The area they appeared in was a courtyard of some sort, with the warm air rushing in from the open ocean. "Feels good don't it?" Jolee asked. Chris smelt the salt with longing. "I never want to leave this place. It reminds me of a place on Earth called Florida, the Sunshine State; lots of beaches and oceans, lots of tropical places." Jolee leaned back on the wall. "Well, don't hold your breath, kid. There are no beaches around here." Chris sighed. "Well, what do you suggest we do now?" "First thing's first, we need to make some money if we want to get into the nitty-gritty. Nobody's gonna talk about your friends." "But you have money!" "We have twenty-five credits! That's not money, that's pocket change! Where's the cantina on this rock?"

They found a bar where Jolee heard about some places one could make a quick buck. The bartender rubbed his lobes. _Seriously, what the fuck is with that?_ Chris thought. "Well, there are certain places I would insist on visiting. There are plenty of vendors around the city that would be willing to buy whatever excess you have." Jolee waved his hand. "We have nothing." "Then perhaps the swoop bike course? I hear that they pay quite handsomely for winners." Jolee thought about it. "Tempting…" Chris leaned forward. "How handsomely are we talking here, pal?" "Sector Champion brings in a grand total of 5000 republic credits. That is a substantial amount." Jolee smiled. "Heard enough. Let's roll."

Swoop bikes were seen more as a form of entertainment than as a form of transportation. The reason why is because swoop bike racing was very popular in the far corners of the galactic underworld. Races were held in the millions for cash prizes just as big and intergalactic fame to go along with the package. It was a tempting life, but also a very dangerous one. Swoop bikes were _very _fast, so this made turning the vehicle _very_ hard. Crashes were sometimes imminent, death instantaneous. The bigger the crash, the more the crowd cheered. Well, at least someone goes home happy.

The Ahto City swoop circuit wasn't one of the unclean, underground courses one would expect to find on say Tatooine or Onderon, but it was a respectable and highly famous course. It stretched on for a few miles on the outskirts of Ahto City over the water. It also had some of the fastest racers in the galaxy, so newbies weren't encouraged to try their luck here first.

Jolee dragged Chris into the lounge. There was a Selkath sitting behind the table. "May I help you, humans?" Jolee propped Chris up. "Yes, sir. My friend here would like to race in the swoop circuit." The Selkath blinked twice. "You are aware of the risks of racing swoops, human?" Chris heard crowing behind him. The Captain twisted his head and saw a swoop on a screen hit an obstacle in the water. The bike exploded on contact and sent smoking pieces all over the immediate area. "Hey look, he's in just two pieces! Pay up, Morth!" a human said to his rodian friend watching the race. "Yes." Chris squeaked like a mouse.

"Then human, I suggest that you start a practice run. They are free." Chris nodded. "OK. Where do I go?" "Follow my assistant. He will take you down to the training track."

Chris and the Selkath went into the swoop bay. Dozens of the hoverbikes were lined up. "Number seven." Chris opted. "Very well. Wear your helmet at all times." The human nodded and slipped his helmet over his head. The Captain climbed into the cockpit and thumbed the activation on his bike. He was shocked for a second as the repulsors activated. "Handle it ease, human. Tilt the controls in respective order, up down for left, down up for right. There's a gear shift on your right side." Chris saw it. "I think I have it from here." The Selkath nodded and walked away. A door opened and Chris piloted his swoop through it. Sunlight blinded him momentarily. And he eased himself into the starting grid. The lights winked from Red to orange. Chris felt a pang of fear and hoped he didn't end up like that poor bastard on the video screen.

Then, the light turned green and Chris shifted upwards and pushed both sticks forward. The swoop shot forward at alarming speed. He saw obstacles approaching at fast speeds and dodged them. He ran over what he took to be speed boosters and that increased his velocity. Chris felt the gees tug at his face and he shifted again. The end was in sight. He barreled forward nearly breaking the sound barrier. A second or two later, he crossed the line and felt air brakes activate. His head slammed into the front of his helmet. "OW!" He said loudly, but the helmet kept the exclamation in. A transport picked him up to return him to the lodge.

"That was amazing, Chris!" Jolee said. "You have a knack for racing!" Chris shrugged. The adrenaline was still rich in his bloodstream. "Well, as Marines, we get faced with situations where we need to think quickly." "Well, whatever it is, you just got some of these guys' attention." Jolee said hooking his thumb over his shoulder. Some humans were nodding their heads. Chris had completed the course in 00:30.162 seconds. Not bad for a first timer. "So, how do you feel, son?" The ex-Jedi said. "We don't have to do this. There's other ways to make money. If you feel sick, I don't blame you in the s-" "What are you? High? I love this stuff! Sure I'm scared shitless right now but that was something else! Better than sex!" He was slightly exaggerating at that last point but he did feel quite enthralled by the call of the track. He had to give it another go.

"Excuse me good sir? How much to give it a timed race?" The Selkath said, "Our prices are cheap. War has brought many jobs so we lowered the cost to about twenty-five credits." Chris' eyes widened and he remembered, that was all they had left on them. Jolee put his hand on the Captain' shoulder. "I have a feeling you'll do just fine. Go on, take the credits, kid." Chris accepted them and laid the credits on the table. "Get me back out there." The Selkath nodded. "Right away! What is your name, sir?"

Chris wondered whether to use his real name or not. He then figured, _What the hell. If Jolee's right about this place, there's nothing the Sith will do to stop me! The Selkath have this place boarded up real nice!_ "Chris Vennettilli." He said evenly.

The Selkath cleared its throat, which sounded like gargling mouthwash. "Ladies and Gentlemen, your attention please! With me here today is a possible legend in the making! A young human new on Manaan! He will race for your entertainment and if need be, die for your entertainment! Chris Vennettilli!"

The fans applauded. Some of the humans actually gave effort. The aliens acted as if it were nothing new. One man in the back noticed Chris though. The Captain didn't see the stare. "Now, human. Come with me. We will set up your timed race!"

Once again Chris was in the swoop's cockpit flipping controls on and off. He felt more at home with the scheme now. The bike was dragged onto the starting grid where he waited for the light to urn green. Now itching for the race, it felt like an eternity. _Come on baby. We need that money! But _I_ want to be famous too!_ This battle went on in his head before the buzzer sounded.

Chris' adrenaline spiked and sped up his reactions. 50 milliseconds after the final light changed color; he was already speeding out of the grid. The bike was picking up speed quickly. He ran over several pads that brought his speed up another 200 kilometers. He barely scratched a piece of floating metal, possibly an obstacle.

He banked left moving the controls so quickly that the sticks felt as if they were going to detach. He ran over another booster pad and felt pressed into his seat. He struggled to stay conscious while blackness tugged at his vision. The world seemed to lose color as his concentration went wild.

The swoop crossed the finish line and the airbrake flaps unfolded. Chris' body flew forwards but was kept in place by the straps. Color returned to the Captain's sight like when one shook an old fashioned Polaroid camera. He was breathing deeply and started coughing. Did he make it? There was no clock. All he needed to do now was wait while the transport returned again to pick up the bike and return to Ahto city.

There was much applause in the lodge room as the Selkath helped lower Chris into a couch. All the humans were laughing and a rodian seemed to join in on the fun. "That boy can _ride_!" One in the back said. Chris waved to all of them. "You attention, race fans! Chris Vennettilli has won the race! He is awarded 1250 credits for his victory. A formidable sum! Would you like to try again, human?"

"No, no. Two races are enough for me. I feel spent." "Come on, kid. You need a drink to calm you down."

The cantina was alive with activity. People of different races gathered around and chatted. Mandalorian mercenaries sneered at echani who leered back. Beings were getting hammered left and right, singing alien drinking songs. Jolee heaved Chris onto a barstool. "What will it be, gentlemen?" "Nothing for me, something light for the kid. He's had a hard day at the track." "I see. How did he perform?" "Oh, he won a race." "Congratulations. Here you are, Correlian Ale. I hear it brings your stress down." The Selkath bartender slid the glass down to the Captain who gulped it thankfully. His heartbeat went down to a comfortable level. "Oh that feels good." Suddenly, there was a voice behind him.

"Excuse me, sir." Chris and Jolee turned. It was the man from the swoop lodge that stared at Chris. "Can I help you, sonny?" Jolee asked. "No thank you, sir. I wanted to speak with your friend." The voice was crisp. Military-like. It was definitely familiar. "What can I do for you?" Chris asked. "Sir, do you remember me?" "Can't say I do. Sorry." "Sir, it's me! Ensign Kevin Callows! UNSC _Phoenix_, DDG-626! Remember?"

It took him a full second to remember Ensign Callows. The young man had changed so much during his absence. He had longer hair and a goatee. "Ensign Callows! Thank God in heaven! It's good to see you again! Fuck, it's good to see _anyone_ again!" Callows smiled. "Well, it's Full Lieutenant Callows now!" "Congratulations! Tell me-" Jolee interjected. "Excuse me but do you two ladies know each other?" Chris smiled. "Jolee, this is _Lieutenant_ Kevin Callows. He was aboard the _Phoenix_ with us when we misjumped! Kevin, this is Jolee Bindo, A Jedi Knight." Jolee grunted. "_Ex_-Jedi Knight."

Callows' eyes went wide and he smiled. "Wow, a Jedi! You've been busy! A lot of the guys think you're…well, _dead_!" Chris' smile slipped away. "Oh…have they? Shit…" Callows continued. "But you're OK now!" The Captain nodded. "How's Perry? The _Phoenix_?" Kevin took his turn to exhale.

"I have no goddamned clue. We've been on Coruscant ever since Karath stabbed us in the back over Telos. Perry sent me on an assignment to look for map pieces and respond back to him if I found any." Chris rhetorically asked, "How many have you found?" "Err…None." Jolee smothered some laughter. "It's a lot harder than it sounds, Jedi. We had to travel all over the galaxy. I've been on this waterball for about a week or so."

"And what have you been doing since?" Jolee asked with the prying of an old man. "Well, I have been searching for it…" "That's not all I take it?" Callows bit his tongue. "OK, fine, I had a few drinks, saw a few people. Err…Females Twi'leks, and unwound.

Chris sipped his drink. "We're here for the same reason, Callows." "What? The Twi'lek girls? Cause I know a real scorcher of a hottie Reja. Like a vacuum-" "NO, no! The map! We need to find the map!" Callows blushed. "Oh. Right, sorry." "Keep it to yourself next time Lieutenant, Jesus…! You did say you searched for it?" "Yes, I did tell the truth about that." "OK." Jolee said. "Tell us what you've got."

"Well. It was basic. I asked some people about the map. Some had no idea. Some directed me to a cartographer, big help he was. He didn't even _specialize_ in star maps! Anyway. I asked around for a few more days and then I stumbled across a Republic soldier who actually told me something useful.

"He told me that I should visit the Republic Embassy. Now I had no idea that the Republic had an embassy here. Ahto City is a bit large, Captain. I can't just stumble around. Another day or two I came to the right place. Had to be since all of the guys were dressed the same as the Republic. I asked to see the head of the embassy and I was brought there. I told him exactly who I was and we cross-referenced information. Eventually after a few hours of talking he told me that dig teams have reported finding ancient ruins at the bottom of the sea. He asked if I wanted to go down and…I refused. I'm afraid of open water if you can believe that." Chris glanced out the window towards the horizon just to be sure he wasn't hearing things. "Anywhere else I would. Continue."

"So anyways, the head of the embassy said that if I ever wanted to go down, I would just need to talk to him about it. I'm pretty sure that if I bring you to him, he'll take you down so you can find the map. Then we can all go back to Coruscant!"

Callows had uncovered some interesting things in his short time on Manaan. It was exactly what they would need. Chris made a mental note to head to the Republic Embassy as soon as they could. Chris was nearly finished his drink when he asked. "How's Sally?"

Callows did a double take. "Sally? The Princess? Man…" he leaned forward on an elbow. "Boy is she burnt out. She thinks you're dead too! Sad as hell." Chris' heart sank. He really _was_ dead to her. Jolee patted Chris' shoulder. "I only saw her once. She was moving jobs a lot. Last time I saw her she was a dancer. She told me before she was a waitress. Who knows what she is now. I honestly thought that you guys had something special there. What made you break up?" Chris didn't like talking about it.

"I called her a 'Furry'." Callows sputtered into his drink. "Is that supposed to be offensive?" Jolee asked. Kevin wiped his beard. "Yes, actually it is. The term 'Furry' is used as an insult. The correct way to refer to these certain creatures are 'anthropomorphic' that means-" "-Yeah, it means something that's given a human stature or personality." Jolee finished. "I wasn't born in a hut." Chris joked. "Yeah, but you live in one."

Callows coughed and rubbed his beard dry. "I can't believe you said that, sir. _YOU_! I mean…I followed your dossier for years! You've never done something like that!" Chris sighed sadly and sipped his drink. "Well Callows, it only needs to happen once." Kevin laughed a little. "Well, I think with a princess-and let's get real, she's spoiled-you only have _one_ chance." Chris scowled slightly. This was because he suspected that the young man was _right_.

Chris and Callows talked a little more. The sun started to fall from the sky and fall towards the horizon causing a beautiful red sky affect made even more beautiful with sea creatures leaping in arcs. Several ships flew in formation out towards the horizon. Callows noticed this and glanced at his watch. "Man, it's getting late. Maybe I should head back. There's a good hotel near-by. You can stay there. I don't think that the Republic would let you in after hours." Chris and Jolee agreed to his invitation.

It took a while getting there. Chris received a few curious glances from the Republic and Sith soldiers, even the Selkath. From his shiny unfamiliar weapon to his Fidel Cap on his head. He returned the glances to the Republic boys but averted his eyes from the Sith. He even had the uncomfortable feeling that there was Dark Jedi among them. Jolee comforted the Captain. "Stay calm, son. It'll be OK. As long as you don't stare for too long they won't notice." "OK, Jolee." The old man tapped the younger one's shoulder.

"Hey Kevin, how much farther?" "We're here right now." The Lieutenant responded. "Thank the Force." Jolee breathed appreciatively. "My bunions are killing me." They stepped through the front door and Jolee said, "I have a bad feeling about this place."

Both UNSC men whirled around. "What happened, Jolee?" Chris asked with his pistol half-drawn. Bindo grumbled in possible frustration. "It's not _what_ happened, it's what _will_ happen. I don't like it, I don't like it one bit." Callows asked, "Uh…does he always do that?" Vennettilli said, "Only sometimes. He's done it over the past few days."

Jolee was silent for a second. "I get a feeling that I may be back here soon." He tsked to himself. Chris shifted his eyes nervously. "OK…Creepy old man moment there." "Shush! Can't you see that I just had a premonition, young-un? Of course you didn't. The youth of this day are so damn ignorant of us old people. Hmph!" Chris rolled his eyes and Jolee slapped him behind the head. "Don't you roll your eyes at me, young man! Respect your elders!"

Callows stepped up to the counter. "Hey. I'd like two rooms. Preferably separate please?" "We have two such rooms available. How long will you be staying with us?" "Uh, those guys? I don't know. You can charge by the day, right?" "That's correct." Callows nodded. "OK then. We're all set for the first night at least." The man nodded. "Alright then. Just give these keys to those men and we'll be all set." The Lieutenant took the keys. "Thanks a lot."

Jolee finished disciplining the Captain. The Lieutenant flinched as he received another slap behind the head for groaning." "I have the keys ready." He said with a hint of amusement. Jolee instantly snatched his key. "Thanks a lot, sonny. I need a nap in. Long day for this old man." Callows laughed and helped the Captain up.

"How are you feeling, Chris?" "Ugh, I've been humiliated and I'm in pain. There's no worse feeling." "Relax, Marine. Just lie down for a little while and everything will be ay-ok-kay." "Oy, if you say so, Doctor Callows." Chris lumbered towards his room. The Captain slid open his door and plopped himself on the bed. The warm blankets took him in. "I hurt from the hair down, Kevin. This galactic roadtrip is killing me!"

"Just relax, Cap. In the morning we'll go to the Republic Embassy. After we find that map, we'll go to Coruscant where we can find Sally and the others. Maybe even the _Phoenix_. Night, sir." He shut the door.

Chris stared at the ceiling. He reached into his bag and drew out the picture again and placed it on his nightstand. He knew he was probably going a little over the edge since they had been separated for more than a week. But he missed her. He was sad, burnt out without her. It wasn't a happy feeling when one was separated from a loved one and this human felt no different towards his Mobian friend. "I might be coming home, babe." He whispered to the picture. He knew that there was no way she could hear him, but he needed to let it out. "I am going to see you again." Chris let his tired eyes close.

He did see Sally in his dreams but it was the horrible dream of the Zerg back in New Mombasa. This time it was _her_ that was pinned by the ferocious beast and Chris was the one who was making the saving shot. His hands trembled as the gun wavered in his hands. He was too late and the creature sliced her throat open. Blood gushed from the wound. Sally gave a small gasp and died with a few twitches of her hands. Her blank eyes bored into Chris' skull. He dropped his gun in shock and terror. "No! NO!" He screamed. The Hydralisk turned to face him and slithered forward with alarming speed. Before he could reach down to pick up the gun, the Hydralisk stabbed Chris through the chest and lifted him up in the air. Chris' face drained and his eyes grew wide in shock. He felt pain as he slid on the scythe claw. Blood was leaking down the sharp claw. The Hydralisk tossed him right next to Sally's body.

Chris stared at his wound. Entrails were easily visible and the Zerg was coming back to finish the job, its skull-like face waiting in anticipation. Chris averted his gaze and looked back at Sally. He failed to protect her. Blood was dripping down her nose and then her cheek. Her fur took on a crimson color as it soaked the blood in. Chris brushed aside her hair and placed his forehead to hers. He sobbed as he rubbed her hair and felt for the rapidly leaving body heat in her. He kissed her forehead and closed her eyes.

He heard the deathly hiss and looked upward to see the Hydralisk plunge its claw right down on his face.

Chris awoke with a cry. He was sweating profusely. His hair was matted and his pupils were dilated. He sniffled for a little at the sight of his nightmare. He never wanted to see the face of the hydralisk but it kept haunting him. He cried for Sally wondering if she was dead. He thumped his head on the pillow three times willing himself to fall asleep.

He fell back into sleep. He didn't have the nightmare again.


	18. Chapter 17: The Hrakert Rift

Chapter 17: The Hrakert Rift

November 18th, 3235, 0812 hours

Ahto City Hotel

Manaan

Chris' eyelids fluttered as the sunlight from Manaan's primary poked through the shutters. Chris slept peacefully throughout most of the night with the exception of that nightmare that involved Sally the night before. The rest of that night was dominated by blackness. Not a dream filled his skull in that 10 hour time period. It felt good to sleep in. It reminded him of life before the military. Well, school played a major part so he could only sleep in on weekends.

Chris turned on his side to avoid the sunlight. He groaned and mumbled subconsciously, "Five more minutes." He covered his head with the pillow to keep his sight in darkness. That way, he could easily drift back into dreamland…

Suddenly, there were thumps on the door. Rather loud too. The Marine yelped and bolted straight up. The pillow shot into the air, hit the ceiling and fell into him lap. The thumps came again this time, but they were louder. Chris' eyes grew wide. _Oh God, they're coming for me!_ He slid out of bed keeping as quiet as possible and grabbed the Desert Eagle on his nightstand. He always kept his gun ready and loaded. God forbid anybody stands in his way during sleepwalk.

Chris flipped the safety off and tiptoed to the door. He stepped in front of the door, raised the gun to head-level and opened the portal. The door slid down and Chris yelled. "Back off! I've got a-" Lieutenant Kevin Callows stopped in mid-knock and looked down the barrel. His hand trembled and he fainted into the arms of Jolee Bindo. The old man grunted, "Now what the hell was that for?"

"Oh! Sorry, Jolee! I thought Kevin was an…err…" "…Sith?" Bindo completed. He actually laughed. "No, sonny! I told the boy to knock _hard_. You have a thick skull and don't wake up easy! If I could sleep as well as you could…" Chris was actually surprised he could sleep so peacefully after what he had been through over the course of just _one_ year. He had seen many things that would make men stay up in the middle of the night calling to their mothers.

"Well, no point mucking about. We need to get to the Republic Embassy. Thank you for giving me something to do this morning." He said with a small smile. Jolee slapped Callows' cheeks with bit of force in it. The Lieutenant groaned as he regained consciousness. "Oh…" he moaned. "Rise and shine, sonny! You just got your daily dose of fright!" Callows blinked his eyes as he got to his feet. "…He pointed a _gun_ at me! He's gone Section 8!"

"Relax, Callows! I was just staying on my toes. I though you were a Sith." Callows did a double take. "How in the _fuck_ could you mistake me for a _Sith_?!" Bindo intervened. "OK, you babbling gizka! RELAX! Chris is sorry he visually threatened to kill you, aren't you, Chris?" "Yeah." "And Kevin is sorry he yelled and whined like a bitch!" "Hey, that's not fair-" "Aren't you?" "Yeah, I am." Bindo huffed in satisfaction. "Very well, life goes on, and I get closer and closer to being senile."

The Earthlings smiled. "Can we get going?" Chris asked. "Sure, once you get some pants on." Callows joked. Chris slept in boxers. They had cartoon characters on them. _Kid_ cartoons. "Ah! Yeah, well I…um…shut up." Bindo cracked, "Nice shorts!"

Ahto City was generally less crowded at the earlier hours of the morning. The Marine was still hardened by military discipline so he could resist sleep for a long time and get his body into pinnacle daily performance quickly and for much more time than a civilian could.

The only people on the streets were Selkath and a few scattered Sith and Republic troops throwing insults at one another. That unfortunately was all the could throw at each other because if it was a foot or a fist instead of a mama joke, there would be trouble for the factions. Chris averted his eyes from the Sith patrols. Their mirrored visors followed the humans as they crossed the square. The Captain pulled the brim of his cap over his eyes to shield his appearance.

There was a lot of fog in the area during the early hours so they had trouble figuring out where the floor pads ended and ponds or service ducts began. Twice they stepped on an unfortunate mouse droid, which huffed angrily at them and Chris' boot accidentally stepped on a Selkath's foot. The fish-head howled angrily and shouted an insult to the young man who hastily apologized. Thankfully, the Selkath didn't report him to the authorities.

"Hey Kevin, when does this fog end?" Chris asked. "Well, it usually starts to clear up around ten o' clock. We should be done our meeting by then. The humans walked into another square when Kevin said, "We're here."

The Republic Embassy was identified with the orange banner baring the symbol of the Galactic Republic. Chris was relieved to see that there were no Sith Troopers in the area, only the men, women, and aliens clad in Republic Battle Armor. They said 'Good Morning' to them cheerfully. They could see however that they were tired. Fatigue from the war crept up on them

They walked towards the main gates of the Embassy. The guard said, "Callows, good to see you again! Who are your friends?" Kevin said, "Oh, they're members of the ship I was on! I just happened to bump into them!" The guard nodded. "OK, just be sure to keep an eye on them." Chris' internal combat thesaurus translated that as '_Make sure they behave themselves or we will _fucking_ kill them!_'

Callows nodded. "I'll make sure. Thanks for letting them in." "You have a good one, Lieutenant." He said opening the door to the Embassy. The guard scrutinized the Captain as he walked past. They made eye contact for a split second and the guard broke away. _Heh, scaredycat_. The Captain said.

The inside of the Republic Embassy was pretty routine: exotic plants covered much of the side of the rooms, computer panels were placed in even positions, banners hung here and there, constantly reminding them of where they were. Senators from Coruscant sat at tables playing games of dejarik, pazaac, and drinking beverages, laughing in old and raspy voices.

"You know where you're going, Callows?" Jolee asked with a slight touch of annoyance. "Relax, Jolee. This is the exact same way I got to see the head of the embassy, a one Colonel Jayce Viene. Colonel Viene fought in the Great Sith War almost 40 years ago. He survived the war but got an artificial arm as a souvenir from the battle.

Viene was sitting behind his desk typing a report to the Republic on this day's performance. He was busy wrapping it up when the secretary called. "_Excuse me Colonel, but you have visitors._" Viene flatly said, "I don't have any appointments, Yelise." "_Sir, it's not a delegate or anything like that. It's Lieutenant Callows. He has two other companions. Should I send them in, Colonel?_" Viene sighed. Callows was a good kid but he needed some time to finish the report. Oh well. Perhaps it was urgent business. "Send them in, Yelise." "_Yes, Colonel_."

The door to Colonel Viene's study slid open. Three humans walked in. Callows saluted. "Colonel Viene, thank you for seeing me again, sir." Viene gestured, "Yes, it was no problem, son. Who are your friends?" Chris stepped forward. "Sir! Captain Christopher James Vennettilli, 182nd Infantry Division, 5th Battalion. UNSC _Phoenix_." Viene's face lit up. Another Earthling. "Captain. Pleasure to meet you! I'm sure you know but I'm Colonel Viene. Who's your friend?" the ex-Jedi said, "I'm Jolee Bindo. I fought in the Great Sith War."

Viene nodded. "Well, it's good to see a veteran of such a brutal conflict." "Captain, Jedi, please sit down." The three drew chairs and sat in front of the Colonel. Viene flexed his hands. Chris could plainly see that the one on the left was mechanical, but hidden by a black glove. Just the way it moved suggested it was robotic. "Lieutenant Callows tells me that you are from this planet Earth, Captain." "Yes, Colonel. I'm sure your superior know this as well?" "The information came directly from the Chancellor, Captain. We know as much as we got. You don't need to explain your predicament to us. We know that you need to find a way back to your universe. For that you need pieces of an ancient map that leads to an emerald?"

"Correct, sir. So far, we have two pieces in our possession but not enough to suggest the Emerald's location. Even so, all of the data is present on our ship and forgive my language sir, but we have no god damned clue where it is!" The Colonel stroked his curled moustache and tapped on his data screen. "Unfortunately the _Phoenix_'s whereabouts are also unknown. We have fleets looking for them. They aren't large and we still need considerable ships to defend Coruscant." "Understandable of course." Jolee said. "Coruscant is home to a trillion people, and it's the home of the Republic. If she falls, the entire galaxy could fall into turmoil."

Viene sighed. "You are correct, Mr. Bindo." "So there's nothing you can do?" "Unfortunately, there's nothing within our power here on Manaan to do. I may have influence on Manaan and in the military, but not enough to extend our search parameters." "Fuck!" Chris cursed. So the _Phoenix_ was still playing hide-and-seek out there.

"Getting back to this map of yours, Captain. I believe we may have found it or something that resembles it." Chris looked the Colonel in the face. "Really?" "Really, Captain. Unfortunately, the map which you seek is located on the bottom of the sea floor." Chris groaned. Callows had told him that the map was on the seabed, but hearing it from the Republic colonel was another thing entirely. "So, how will we get down there? I assume there's a submarine or transport?" Viene nodded. "Correct. It's a SoruSuub Model A7 Submersible Transport. We use it to ferry men down for construction."

The sentence caught Chris' attention and he believed Jolee and Kevin caught it as well. "Construction? What are you building?" Viene paled. He seemed to have said something he shouldn't have. "I…we're building nothing. It's just survey work. Tectonics. Nothing to worry about." Chris' eyes narrowed. "Colonel, if there's something down there, I want to know about it." Viene regained his composure. "Forget it, Captain. What's down there is a Republic secret." "You want me to tell the authorities about it? I'm sure that they'll be happy to hear about an illegal construction project going on under _their_ sea!" A vein pulsed in the Colonel's neck. "YOU'LL DO NO SUCH THING!" "Jolee. Get him to tell us!" Bindo cracked his neck and stood up. "With pleasure, Captain." "Wait, wait, wait, wait! Let's be civil, Captain! There's no need for hostilities! I'll tell you all about it!" Chris shook his head. "I wasn't trying to be hostile, Colonel. I sometimes use unorthodox means to get information I require. Now tell us."

Viene thumped the desk with his metallic fist. The pencil on the table lifted a full inch off the ground. "Dammit! All right. Surely you've heard of the healing agent kolto?" Chris rolled his eyes. "Vaguely." He said with a sarcastic snarl. "No need for sarcasm, Captain. Now. With the Sith occupation here on Manaan, we're not getting all of the kolto we hoped we would get. The Republic went ahead and started building a kolto harvesting plant on the seabed close to one of the vents where kolto bubbles to the surface. It's still in its production phase though so it will be a little while before we can suck the excess agent in from the water. Believe me! We need it more than the Sith! Look at what's left of our army and navy!"

Chris could see the Colonel's point. The Republic had taken a beating from the Mandalorians and now Malak wasn't doing them much justice. The Dark Lord was not shooting the galaxy up searching for the Captain and his motley crew. He wasn't afraid to torch a few planets while he was at it. If Malak found that Emerald first, very bad things would happen to the galaxy. Every moment he spent thinking about it made him feel very ill in the stomach. "Point taken, Colonel. If you let us go to the station though, we could get that map. In turn, we'll be able to find the Emerald. Malak won't be able to destroy the galaxy without it. Will you help us, sir?"

Viene didn't even hesitate. "Yes. I will help you Captain. I know that you're doing this to get you and your men home but I realize that you would also be doing the galaxy a favor that can never be repaid in ten thousand lifetimes." Chris smiled from the flattery. "Colonel. It's a Marine's job to get the job done and save as many people as he can. I may want a ride home, but this galaxy can't just let Malak walk all over it. We will help you beat this guy." Jolee nudged his shoulder and nodded his head in approval.

Viene nodded. "Well then, let's get you to that sub." He stood up and grasped Chris' hand. The metallic palm crushed the Captain's shake. He kept his mouth shut but kept the howl of pain inside him. Viene sensed his discomfort and said, "Sorry, dear boy. It happens all the time."

They stood to leave and were at the doorway when Viene froze by the doorway. "Say…I heard a report from Republic Intelligence. We heard a rumor that about a week or so ago a bunch of prisoners escaped Malak's flagship. About a few days later, a lone convict got off. That wasn't…" Chris smiled. "Yeah. That was me." Viene's eyebrows shot up and his moustache curled in delight. "My word, son. You put on quite a show. You know that you're actually rallying some of the Republic forces? You're showing them that Malak isn't invincible and can be stood up to and fought. It may have been a retreat but you did it regardless." Chris actually froze for a second. "Wow…I…I feel honored, Colonel." Collows huffed. When would it be his time to shine?

The sub that would take the men down to the Hrakert Rift station was located in the back of the Republic embassy. Viene led them through several security doors to let them see the vehicle. There were two bays and both had submarines waiting, bobbing in the water. The subs had two prows located on the sides of the sub. Lights lay inactive on the tips. They seemed large enough for only three people to ride in them.

"Well, gentlemen. When you get down there, I suppose you had better begin searching. If you find whatever you're searching for, I hope you can use it to save the Republic. I apologize if I seem to be sounding dramatic." Chris laughed and removed his cap as he stepped into the cockpit of the submarine. "Don't worry, sir. It happens all the time." Colonel Viene saluted as the cockpit sealed.

Chris sat in front of the controls, as only he and Jolee could understand Aurebesh. "OK, gentlemen. Strap in. I'll check to see if I can get this tin can to activate." Callows hooked his seatbelt. "Cool, sir." Chris scrutinized the controls. He wasn't qualified to pilot boats. He didn't have a license for that and he had only been in a submarine once. He compared being underwater to being in space. Only underwater you stood a better chance of drowning. He pushed the phobia out of his mind and started the engine. The sub hummed to life. "There we go!" He said in triumph. "What are you waiting for? Take us down!" Jolee growled.

"OK, hang tight, old man. DIVE, DIVE!" Chris lowered the sub down the shaft. Within a few minutes the sub was in open water. A few schools of fish were crowding around the sub but they scampered away when the strong headlights cut through the water. The lights of Ahto City eventually were swallowed up by the darkness as they got lower and lower. Their ears popped as pressure started to build up and Jolee complained how his popped louder than others.

Chris wasn't really piloting the sub at all. There was a preprogrammed path built into the circuits taking them down to the station. Outside, a few shapes flickered in the darkness. Callows swallowed. "Oh my God! Is that a shark?!" Chris looked out the port window. "I think you're right!" Chris said. "Firaxa shark, boys! Beautiful specimen isn't it?" The shark came close to them. It had a huge dorsal fin and two long side fins. It also had a lot of teeth to add onto that. "Ooh! She's a big one!" Jolee said with the enthusiasm of an excited nature-watcher.

The shark eventually pulled away and joined a larger herd. The Firaxa sharks were feeding on an unfortunate school of fish that were trying to get away. "Beautiful." The old Jedi said as they continued deeper into the water. Light almost seemed to disappear. Chris knew with a stirring thought that some terrifying creatures lived this deep. He had seen in the New York Metropolitan Science Center that creatures such as the anglerfish would live at these extreme depths. He shuddered. The blank, staring eyes and the luring glowing ball attached to its head were scary.

His fears went unfounded though because he only saw more Firaxa sharks. They seemed to be the only thing on this planet besides the fish and the Selkath.

The Hrakert Rift station wasn't a huge place. By Earth standards it was tiny. The station was only 50 acres big with the majority being laboratories. There were some harvesters already constructed but it wasn't a whole lot. The submarine arced towards the station's sub bay that resembled a hangar of some sort. The sub entered through the roof and traveled through a passage that formed a blocky S-bend. The sub resurfaced in a room that was similar to the one at the Republic Embassy only there was an empty bay next to them.

The cockpit hatch lifted open and a smell that was metallic and missed with smoke of construction. Chris took a deep breath and sighed dramatically. "Reminds me of the ship!" Callows laughed. "Yeah. Smells like home, feels like home." The Marines laughed but Jolee took a look around the bay, as if trying to memorize it. "Hey Bindo! Let's go, we're on a schedule here!" The Captain called. Jolee grunted and lifted himself out of the seat. That was a major effort on his part. He was getting too old.

A couple of techs surrounded the sub. "Well, look what we have here! You don't seem like Republic soldiers!" Chris placed his cap back on his head, making sure the eagle was proudly spreading its wings dead ahead. "We're not. I'm Captain Chris Vennettilli. This is Lieutenant Kevin Callows and Jolee Bindo. We're on a mission here." The head tech nodded. "Yeah. Viene sent us a message after you guys left the city. We didn't believe him at first but our scans show that there seems to be some ancient ruins nearby or something down in the rift." Callows titled his head. "Have you gone and checked it out?" The tech nodded. "Nah. The construction we're doing is waking up a whole lot of sea life. I mean, I've never seen so many damn fish in one place! We told the scientists that it was too dangerous. Did they listen to us? Noooooooo. A couple fools went out into the water and the sharks tore them apart!"

Chris and Kevin winced. Jolee said, "There's something in those ruins that we need to find, sonny. We've got to go out there fishy or no fishy." The tech shrugged. "Whatever, old man. It's your funeral. Also, if you could find out who died out there, we'd appreciate it. We could tell their families and put some minds at rest." Chris asked, "What, you don't have computers or rosters for that sort of thing?" The tech fumed. "Well excuse _me_ for not thinking of everything. We're only getting paid to build and wire this thing. I don't like it down here but this kolto is gonna be worth it for the Republic." "You sound like you hate the Republic." Jolee noted. The tech shrugged. "Do I hate the Republic? No, I do not. Do I _dislike_ them for sending me and my boys down to this tin can, yes. I really, _really_, dislike them!"

Chris glanced at his watch. They weren't in any sort of time crisis or something like that but it was a habit formed over time. The clock currently showed 1251. "Listen, could we go outside?" the tech shrugged. "Like I said: I don't care. Just make sure to get a suit on first. You step outside without that on, you'll be crushed before you drown. That's how bad the pressure is down here." The Captain flinched at the thought of his body being compressed by the literal weight of the world. "Got it. Could you point us in the right direction?" The tech said, "Down the hall, make a left then a right. Airlock's straight ahead. Got that? Good. I'm on a schedule here, sir."

The men walked down the first hallway immediately ahead of the sub bay. It was a hallway that had glass on the sides so that one would be able to see the ocean outside, as well as the sharks. Two Firaxa sharks were doing a surreal twisting in the ocean. They suspected it was a mating pattern of some sort but nobody was sure. "Seems very scenic for a research outpost." Jolee noted. Chris answered, "Well Jolee, even scientists need to look out a window and see something. Me personally I like seeing rolling hills, pastures full of animals, and the occasional fast-food restaurant." Kevin gave a small chuckle at the inside joke. "Yeah, but I on the other hand don't want to be waking up and seeing _that_ every day!" He said pointing at a particularly big shark munching on a captured fish. "Does that really scream 'Hello world! I'm going to discover something today!' to you?"

"No but it does scream 'Particularly violent fish-on-fish action'!" Kevin said casually but Chris laughed at the unintended joke.

The hallway up ahead was already completed in structure but techs were sill wiring lights and putting panels into walls. Droids bustled and hustled around their masters and did what they could to make the construction go by faster.

At the first intersection they went through the left doorway. Inside was a fairly small room where there were lockers around the perimeter. Inside these lockers were suits that looked just like the ones Chris used escaping the _Leviathan_. As a matter of fact, they _were_ the same suits he used to escape the _Leviathan _only they were painted yellow instead of radiation-dispersing whitish-silver. Also there were devices which looked like they could be clipped onto the suit's wrist. The wider end made the Captain suggest that it was a weapon of some sort.

"That's a Sonic Discharger!" A voice behind them said. They turned and saw a young human female standing wearing a white lab coat. "Excuse me?" Chris asked. "Those are Environmental Suits for when we need to venture out onto the ocean floor. Those devices there are Sonic Dischargers. We clip them onto the wrists of the suits to kill those bloody Firaxa sharks. They hate the high frequency sounds the devices make. The frequency is much too high to bother many sentient races but try it out on a shark out here, and they'll be flopping belly-up in no time."

"Can we use a couple of these suits? We're on a mission here." The lady nodded. "Yes. Colonel Viene contacted us after you left Ahto City in the sub. I'm Doctor Tylia by the way." Chris nodded. Kevin asked, "Is it true then, Doctor? _Is_ there something out there in these ruins?" Tylia hesitated then said, "Yes there is. About three standard weeks ago we discovered a large ruin of some sort. Evidently we thought it was that way because the waters weren't always as high as you saw now. Anyways, we also discovered a high magnitude of energy resonating from the ruins. Naturally we wanted to get some men out there and recover whatever it was making all that juice."

"What happened? The sharks?" Jolee asked. "The men got out there and looked around but there were a high number of sharks. They just tore them to shreds!" "I see" Chris nodded. "Go on." "So, we've been afraid to send anyone out there because we think that the sharks would just use their bodies for chew toys. A few researchers got the nerve to go, but we haven't seen them for about a week. We're starting to fear the worst." Jolee grumbled, "Not to dampen your spirits, Doctor, but nobody could survive out there for seven days!" Tylia sighed and her shoulders drooped. "I know. But could you look?" "You're the second person that's asked me that. I already agreed the first time." Vennettilli said. Tylia smiled. "Thanks, Captain. Now, let's get these suits on you."

They were all suited up within five minutes. Their suits were comfortable but the crushing weight of the ocean above would probably give them a sense of claustrophobia. _Claustrophobia?! Have you forgotten what you do for a living?!_ Chris thought inside his skull. Kevin thought pretty much the same thing. They lumbered into the airlock. Tylia said that there were scattered air stations all around the facility, so if they were running low they could top their tanks off whenever they needed. The three of them barely fit into the airlock and Chris had no idea which was which. In his hand held a harpoon gun in his hand. He had picked up the weapon before he stepped into the tiny, cramped space. The Doctor shut the door and slowly the room filled with water. Soon, the light turned green and they walked out into the ocean.

The feeling of walking in the ocean was much different than Chris' spacewalking experience. For one thing, the water was much thicker than space (no surprise) so the suits didn't move nearly as fast as they did in the vacuum. All around them was darkness. A few fishes swam by but nothing got close to the three humans. A few other armored techs from the station were busy welding the outside of the facility. "Hey buddy, can you point us in the fight direction towards some alien ruins? We're kind of in a rush here!"

"_Yeah sure. It's pretty easy. Just keep going right of here._" Chris asked again. "Just right?" "_Just right. Keep on going until you see em. You can't miss em either._" Chris waved. "Thanks. I guess." "_No problem._" The group started marching in that direction. "Well, that was specific." Jolee said to Chris. "These ruins must be pretty big then." Callows said. "They would have to be if you can't miss them in _this_." He gestured to the blackish water all around them.

Chris silently begged for a cruise control button. It was just killing his legs. They had been walking for God knows how long. He had no watch to check the time and there was no sun to poke through the murkiness. "Any idea how long we've been walking?" Callows said, "Best guess, Captain? One hour…twenty five minutes?" Jolee looked behind them. "I can still see the facility though!" "Yeah, that's a real heartbreaker." Chris said to a small amount of laughs from Callows.

Soon, the water was filling up with sharks. Chris silently raised his harpoon gun in case he was ready to use it. "We must be getting close, boys." Chris said slowly. "Hey Chris, Can I ask you a question?" Callows asked. "Shoot." "Well, here's the thing. How are we going to get that information from the map piece? I mean we don't have any paper or anything like that. So how are we going to remember this stuff?" Chris didn't put his gun down. "Tell you the truth Kevin, the thought never crossed my mind until this very moment. If Tylia was right about the energy and sharks, we're in for some trouble if we stay. So, we take the damn thing." Jolee sighed. "I just _knew_ you were gonna say that."

The ruins seemed to just spring out of nowhere. Columns stretched hundreds of feet into the sky. Temples were still standing after who knows how many years. There were still even cobblestone walkways! "Wow. You know we Earthlings had a legend about a city beneath the waves. We called it Atlantis." Jolee said, "Ooh. Sounds intriguing. Was it home to a say, an ancient advanced civilization?" "Actually that's what we thought. Cults sprung up in mere decades and we spent years looking for it." Jolee asked, "Did you find it?" "Oh we found it. It was a city that was underwater roughly a few kilometers from a European shoreline. No advanced civilization, no big surprise, just an ancient city that got too close to a volcanic eruption/tsunami." "Must've been heartbreaking." "Not really. A few scientists probably went crazy but that's about it."

This was in no way Atlantis. This was much more than Atlantis ever was or would ever hope to be. This ancient city outlasted Atlantis by 20,000 years. They began getting closer to what they suspected to be the city square. Sharks were abundant here. "Is that it?" Callows asked. "I guess so." Chris responded and brought the gun to shoulder height. "Hey Jolee, why can't you use our lightsaber down here?" Chris asked. "Well, it's not properly modified for this sort of thing. If I could draw it out, it would just flicker and die. I suppose I could just whack the sharks with the hilt. Heh, heh, heh.

They could easily see the cube, which contained the map. "OK. We just need to reach out and grab it…" The Captain said. His hand trembled as it reached out to grab the box. When his hand closed around the frame and he lifted it free of the grimy pedestal it was on, the sharks decided to attack.

The closest Firaxa shark closed its jaws around Chris' arm. The Captain screamed in pain and nearly dropped the cube. He put a harpoon through the shark's head and kicked it away. A bit of blood came from the wound and twisted in the water. "Oh no…" Chris said. He knew sharks enough to know that as soon as the scent of blood was among the water…

They all dived towards the group. Every. Single. One. "RUN!" Chris screamed. He raised his hand and sent a wave of sound from his Sonic Discharger. The sharks immediately flipped upside down and twitched before becoming still. It was a good distraction as the other sharks turned to feast on the newfound corpses. That didn't stop some of the others as they kept barreling towards them. Callows and Jolee killed a few others with their Dischargers. The suits kept them from breaking the galactic speed record but they put as much effort as they could into it. A few well-placed harpoons from the Captain put a few sharks down but they still kept coming! Callows took a brief look backwards and Jolee screamed, "DON'T LOOK BACK! RUN!" Suddenly one came from nowhere and tackled Callows. "UGH! HELP!" He screamed. Chris wheeled around and with lightning reflexes, shot the Firaxa threatening the Lieutenant. It's corpse drifted away while Callows writhed in pain. It sounded like static coming through the channel. There was a lot of blood in the water but Callows' suit sealed itself with yellow foam-like material. "You OK, Lieutenant?!" Chris asked lifting his friend over his shoulder. "Yeah! I'm fine!" He heard the rasping in his voice though. If they didn't get Kevin to a doctor soon, he would die from infection or blood loss.

They managed to get to the base much faster than they were able to get to the ruins. They found no other bodies of scientists. A few sharks held on but the majority had returned to the ruins. They were right next to the base and they hammered on the airlock doors. "HELP! WE NEED A DOCTOR!" Chris shouted. Immediately, the airlock cycled open and the water drained on the inside. They got inside and a doctor was already waiting for them. "He needs help! A Firaxa just bit him." "Chaos!" The doctor said. "Alright. We'll get him stabilized." They wheeled Callows away, suit and all. Tylia found them.

"I'm sorry about your friend." She said. "He'll be fine." She looked at the Captain. "Did you find the bodies?" "No. There were no bodies. I think the sharks got them all." Tylia looked as if she would cry. Chris asked, "Was there somebody important that went out there?" She kept it in, but barely. "My baby brother, Keegan." "I'm sorry."

"It's OK. At least now I'm sure." "I'm sorry again, Doctor." She walked away silently sobbing to herself. Chris sighed. "I hate when that happens." Chris said. Suddenly, he felt pain on his left arm. The seawater made contact with his skin and then he remembered. He pulled of his upper half and saw that his arm was bleeding. "Well look at that! I forgot I was bleeding!" It was a decent size wound. The suit itself protected him from the brunt of the shark's attack but the teeth somehow got through and punctured his skin. "You'd better get some kolto on that." "Yeah. I'd better. I could also check up on Kevin. They must have him stabilized by now."

Chris slipped off his lower half. His fatigues didn't even get wet. He recovered his hat and placed it on his head. He began his walk to the medlab with a sheet of paper-towel around his arm. Some techs and scientists pointed him in the right direction while others regarded him with respect. Not many people survived a Firaxa shark attack.

The medlab wasn't very crowded. "Excuse me, could I get a swab here?" Chris asked. A doctor answered the call and poured some fresh kolto on the wound. It felt the best ever, the most soothing. "When it comes straight from the source, it's the most powerful." The doctor winked at him. He rolled a bandage around his arm. "You'll be OK." "How's my friend, Lieutenant Kevin Callows?" "He's just been stabilized. He's about to go into the tank. He's still conscious if you want to talk to him." Chris nodded. "Sure."

Kevin was still lying on his bed cringing in pain. A large dark stain was spread across his upper torso. "Kevin?" "Chris?" "Yeah, it's me." "Shit man! I thought I was done for! Thank you!" Chris shook his head. "Hey don't mention it, but I'm gonna start charging now!" Callows smiled and laughed. "Thanks again, not just for saving me, but keeping me going. They're just about to put me into the kolto tank." He then got serious.

"I'm not going to be able to go with you to Coruscant. I can't leave for a little while. It's gonna be a four-day healing at the most the doctors told me." Chris said, "Then we'll wait." "No, no!" He said with a little cringe of pain. "You need to go. You need to tell them where I am. Find Sally. You need to see her more than I do. Listen though. Coruscant is a big planet. It might be months, years maybe before you find her."

Chris nodded. "I'll do that, Kevin. And thanks." "For what, Chris?" Chris smiled. "For keeping me going." Kevin saluted. The doctor injected him with a sedative and the young man slumped on his bed. "I'll see you, Callows." He turned on his heel then left.

Soon, he was back in the sub heading back for the surface. Jolee sat beside him and watched him as he looked at the small cube. "Looks like it's just you and me again." he smiled. Chris said, "Yeah, I think it is." The old man said, "You did the right thing. Why are you sulking?" "Callows told me it might be years before I find Sally. I have to search a whole planet of a trillion people to find her." "I spent twenty years in a cabin finding myself." "Yeah but still…" "Listen. When I said I wanted to go with you back on Kashyyyk. I meant that I would go with you wherever, for whenever." "You mean, you'll stay with me, even if it takes me years to find the guys?" "You bet your young ass I will. I mean, I've had it with wildlife for a little while. I need to see Coruscant again! Even if it takes a few years, I'd like nothing better than to see her spires again." Chris smiled. "Thanks Jolee." "Don't mention it, boy.

Colonel Viene met them as soon as they came back. "Greetings, Captain. Did you find what you were looking for?" "Yeah, here it is." He said holding out the cube. "Incredible." Viene said looking at the ancient markings on it. "Hang on, where's Callows?" He looked. "Is he…?" "No. Firaxa. He's stable but he's going to need about four days to heal up." "Terribly sorry." "It's OK. He'll pull through."

Viene asked, "What are you going to do now?" "We need to go to Coruscant to find the rest of our crew. I have unfinished business." Viene nodded. "I see Captain. Would you like a transport to get you there?" "Actually, that would be pretty good. Our old ride is probably on the way back to Karath's ship." At this, Viene frowned. "I kind of wish you two had the opportunity to throw a tracer on that ship. We would have been able to pinpoint Karath's location and destroy him. Oh well though. I suspect during your escape you had no chance to pick up a tracer." "You'd be correct, Colonel." Chris nodded.

"Well in that case, take a couple hundred credits to get you the rest of the way. I know you have a bit of an amount on you but it's just for luck. I hope you do find your crew, Vennettilli. The fate of the Republic could be balanced on this one mission." Chris stared into space. "Why do they keep saying that?" He looked at him again. "Excuse me, Colonel, but we were never supposed to be in this universe." "I kind of figured." "Yes, thus being said, we can't be recognized for what we will be doing." Viene's moustache curled even more. "I beg your pardon? You don't want the glory?" "Our two worlds were never meant to intertwine so whatever happens out there must only be kept within the Republic military. We don't exist."

Viene contemplated the request. It was odd of course but it made sense. He would _never _forget what this man and his friends were doing for the Republic though. He didn't need to. He just needed to make sure nobody else found out. "I'll do that, Captain. With that, I want to wish you good luck." He gripped his hand and shook it. "I know you're not a Jedi or anything like that but it's a bit of a parting pleasure we do. May the Force be with you."

Chris smiled. He was honored to receive the phrase. He also shook Jolee's hand. "Farewell, Master Jedi." Viene said. "Good luck again!" With that, they left the embassy.

The transport was set to take off for Coruscant. Chris and Jolee paid for their passes and sat down next to a window. Soon, the ship took off and in moments, Ahto City was just a smudge on the face of the blue world. "Well, that was quite a vacation." Chris said sarcastically. "Well it was! You saw a friend from your ship, you won a swoop race, you managed to intimidate a Republic official, you recovered a map piece, and you saved your friend! If that doesn't scream 'destiny' I don't know what will!"

"Oh, you're doing the 'destiny' thing _again_? Jesus, old man." He said rolling his eyes. Jolee gave him a tap on the head. "Hey! No rolling your eyes at me, young man!" Chris laughed. "I know I've said this before but I'm fricking glad you decided to tag along."

The ship started to pick up speed. Soon, the engines activated and the ship blasted into Hyperspace. The real work was just about to begin. Chris looked outside towards the moving blue wall. He took out his picture again and looked at it. "I'm coming." He whispered to the frozen image. "I'm coming."


	19. Chapter 18: Look Alikes

Chapter 18: Look-alikes

December 5th, 3237, 0900 hours

Kamino

Tipoca City Cloning Bays

The Doctor sat up in bed. He stretched and yawned widely. The same room he had been in for about two years now surrounded him and his intentions were still as masked as they were when he had arrived on this miserable planet.

Of course, Doctor Robotnik opted for the best service he could get, otherwise, he would pull out his detonator and wave it around in front of the stunned Prime Minister Ghav Nhus. The Kaminoan was much weaker than Robotnik had expected. Eggman rose from his bed and got dressed in his red suit and black pants. He ate a quick meal and opened the window shutters. "Of course it's still raining." He mumbled to himself and shut them in loathing. He hated this world. He never saw the sun, which meant he never got the Vitamin D his body needed. The Kaminoans had sun lamps that reproduced the rays of a G2V main sequence star but it was still not enough for Eggman. Truth be told, he would have left a long time ago if he had the choice. But he had business on this planet. He planned to finish that business.

The Doctor exited his suite into the main hallway. Several Kaminoans waved and greeted him. They were totally unaware of his motives. Even the robots that stood watch at the door were unarmed. The decision made Robotnik nervous because whenever he seemed to put his guard down, no matter where in the galaxy he was, the UNSC always seemed to pop out of nowhere like a jack-in-the-box and scare the living daylights out of him. However, he had nothing to worry about. Even though the Republic was on high alert for Robotnik, they wouldn't dare roam out into Wild Space where anything could happen. He was completely and effectively hidden from the rest of the universe, besides the unsuspecting Kaminoans of course.

The robots fell into step behind him. "Doctor, would you like the day's report so far, sir?" Eggman smiled. "Yes, that would be good. Let me have it straight." "Yes Doctor. The specimens are progressing at a fantastic rate this morning sir. The production levels have jumped ten percent in a week. Current project completion is at 98 percent, sir." Robotnik gave a toothy grin and his glasses flashed in the bright light. "Alright, gentlemen. Let's meet our new friends!"

Eggman walked down the hall to an elevator that would take him to the main floor where his cloning vat was. The Doctor had commissioned a full dozen pods to accommodate his specimens. Luckily, he didn't even need to use the other six. The elevator halted and opened. The smell of kolto and the fluid used in the vats filled the air. Doctor Robotnik had inhaled this odor for many years and was quite used to it. Today though, there was something new in the air: a little something of his own he called _success_.

The vat was up ahead with an astromech droid scanning the vitals of the occupants. Eggman stopped and held his hands clasped behind his back. A wide smile spread across his face as he scrutinized the face of his most hated enemy: Sonic the Hedgehog.

Well, it wasn't _really_ Sonic. It was a biological organism artificially conceived and grown to his specifications. In laymen's terms: a clone. Beside Sonic's clone there were five others in respective order: Sally the prissy princess, Tails the flying rat, the _hated_ human Captain Vennettilli, Corporal Percy and Kuckles the Echidna, a former pawn of his. Each one floated in their tanks completely naked. Eggman smiled as he looked over their physical attributes. They were all _perfect_. The humans were the most powerful with large muscles all over their bodies. The Princess' clone's body was slender and slightly voluptuous. Sonic, Tails and Knuckles didn't look any different.

Robotnik tapped the glass on the tank that belonged to Sonic's clone. "Wakey, wakey, sunshine!" he said. At once, the eyes snapped open and Eggman actually flinched. He stared straight into the clone's eyes. "_You_ are perfect." Robotnik said taking off his glasses and rubbing them on his shirt. The clone could work as a psychological ploy that he could orchestrate later.

"Is it safe to take them out?" Robotnik asked the robots. "Yes, Doctor. Scans show that apart from a few unimportant factors, they are ready to emerge from the vats." "Very well. Drain them. Poppa wants to speak to his kids!" The robot complied and had the fluid drained out. The vats split open and each one of the clones tumbled onto the metal floor gasping in the air like fish out of water. _More accurately, clones out of oxygenated fluid_!

Sally's clone shivered on the ground. She stuttered as she tried to speak her first vocalized words. "It…It…It's so cold." She said covering her chest with her arms and curling into a ball. Robotnik could see the gooseflesh forming on Chris and Ryan's clones. They didn't shiver like Sally, but if they were cold, they kept it quiet. Tails' clone chattered his teeth while the clones of Sonic and Knuckles looked straight at Robotnik.

"Who's he?" the hedgehog asked pointing a shivering finger at Eggman demanding an answer. Robotnik smirked. _He even sounds like him_. He noted. The Doctor decided these quick moments after their birth was the best time to gain control of their new minds. "My children! I concede that I am your father!" Chris' clone stuttered, "F…Father?" Eggman actually showed real compassion. "Yes my dear boy. I am your life-giver, your patriarch. All of you are my children." Sonic's clone huffed. "If you're our _father_, why don't we look like you?" _Ooh, he's smart._ "Simple. You are clones."

"Clones?" Miles' asked. "You mean genetic copies of an individual?" _Yowza_! "That's correct. I have brought you into being for a purpose." "What?" Clone Knuckles asked. "You see your genetic _donors_ I'd like to say were a little bit rough. They have ruined me and have abandoned me all alone! I have been drifting in space for months without food or water!" Sally's clone clasped her hands over her mouth. "How _horrible_!"

_This is too easy! You're a natural film star, Julian! I'll fudge my way through this just like I did in high school!_ "Yes my child!" he said dramatically draping his gloved hand across her shoulder and staring into her eyes. "I am but a poor old man who gave life to you to help me. You will help me, will you?" Sally's clone's eyes darted back and forth. "Yes father. We will help you." She said. Robotnik faked a sniffle. "And the rest of you? Will you aid me in this quest to find and stop these evil doers?" the human clones agreed immediately, the pride that came natural to humans was fueling their choice. Reluctantly, the rest of the Mobian clones agreed. "You have made me so happy, children." Robotnik said with he faint flashing of his glasses.

Robotnik managed to get clothing for all the clones. The Humans received pressed military uniforms complete with the UNSC eagle on the shoulders. The Mobians also received similar uniforms but Sally got a smaller size to accent her sexuality. He had a feeling that it could work to her advantage. He believed the term that would best suit it would be _Hypnotism_.

"Now, as you are aware you are still very, very young! You are truly only a few hours old." Tails' clone concluded, "But father, if we're only a few hours old, why do we have older bodies?" Robotnik playfully ruffled the clone's hair. "I'll tell you when you're older, son. We have work to do now." "Work? You mean physical labor?" Sonic's clone asked. "No, not yet anyway. You need education. We need to get some knowledge into your brains if you're going to help me stop your originals."

Eggman had the clones educated in Math, Science, History, and Weapon Familiarity. The clones spent hours in front of video screens. It was here they got their first taste of discipline. Whenever a clone looked away from his or her screen, a slight tap to the head with a ruler would be applied. The more often they looked away, the more taps they received. Eventually after a week or two of stern tapping, not one of the clones looked away from their screens and their knowledge showed for it.

Arguably, the most favored classes of all of these were the Weapon Familiarity courses. Eggman had obtained a firing range from Prime Minister Nhus to train the clones in marksmanship. One day, he stepped up to each clone and handed him or her a personal weapon; one that belonged to the original. "Chris, this is an Israeli Military Industries Desert Eagle .50 caliber handgun. Very powerful and is able to take out many man-sized targets from one shot to the chest." Chris' clone twirled the gun in his fingers and launched a round at the holographic target, which vanished instantly. Eggman nodded with satisfaction.

"My sweetheart Sally, this is a Colt Arms Python .357 Magnum revolver. Nine chambers for the rounds, very powerful, very effective." "Thanks, dad." "Anytime, my sweet." Robotnik said with a hair tousle. Sally sighted the weapon and pulled the hammer back with her thumb. She locked it and fired a shot. The bullet caught the target in the head and it vanished in a puff of logic. He smirked and walked over to Ryan.

"Now, now, my boy; this is for you!" He lifted a large weapon into his hands. "Wow! What is it?" "Oh that? _That_ is an M134 Minigun! It has an incredibly high rate of fire and can reduce a target to a meaty pulp in mere minutes!" Ryan scowled and said, "Gross! That sounds sick!" _That's odd. I didn't expect that_. "Well, you'll learn it's not that bad, son! Do it for me, huh?" Ryan's clone shrugged. "OK, if you say so." "That's the spirit, boy!"

The clone activated the minigun and its barrels spun about gathering speed as it went. Soon, it was at a quick enough rotation to spew literally _hundreds_ of rounds within three seconds towards the target, which seemed to just melt away under the impact of the rounds. The clone dropped the gun in surprise and covered his ears that were ringing like crazy. Robotnik was wearing his earplugs so the thundering blasts of propellant didn't affect him. He clapped the clone on the back. "Good work."

"You my son get something special." He said issuing him what appeared to be a stun gun. "It doesn't look lethal." He noted. "Correct! This is a Fabrique Nationele X-38 StunGun. It's experimental so not many people have them. The gun doesn't kill people; it just leaves them in a lot of pain unless you _want_ to kill them." "I see." The clone said. He aimed the StunGun towards the target and let loose a jet of ball lightning that sputtered as it ate the target away. "Whoa…" The clone said.

"And you two get Misriah Armory BR75 8.9mm X round Battle Rifles! They're top-of-the-line weapons for soldiers, highly effective at close to medium range. Try them out!" He handed the battle rifles to the hedgehog and the echidna. Both sighted them immediately and fired three round bursts at the targets. The shots found their marks and Eggman smiled. They were learning to kill, just as he wanted.

Robotnik also insisted that daily, they were to be put through rigorous simulator tests on spaceships and ground vehicles, grasping the concept of astrophysics. "But why can't a fighter maneuver as easy in space as it can in the air?" the clone of Tails asked. Robotnik sighed. It was like talking to children. _Well, you walked yourself into that one, Julian. Look who insisted that their brain capacity would be that of only a ten year old at birth_. "Once more, there is no friction in space. Fighters need jets positioned all over the body to travel in the direction they want. Essentially, they are very small versions of the ships I have show you in history."

"OK. Why would we need to learn how to fly?" "Well, just in case you need to shoot them down in space." "But they could die of Asphyxia!" "Yes, and they could kill _me_. Please don't let that happen, son!" He smiled as Tails' clone walked back into the simulator to fly another run of the Battle of Installation 00 that took place in the eve of 2552. Robotnik's lies were shaping these clones into what he desired. He did estimate that as soon as the clones finished with his enemies, they would eventually come to terms with what they had done and rally against the Doctor. There, he would just eliminate them quickly and quietly. He would find the Blood Emerald all by himself and use it to A: build a warpgate home, and B: manifest an army that _nobody_ in the universe could stand up against! Ah, it was good to be daddy.

In their locker room, the clones talked about their day as they usually did. The humans were busy lifting weights, the princess' clone was taking a shower and Sonic, Kuckles, and Tails' clones were all playing card games. "Some training, huh guys?" Chris asked as he pushed the 150-pound dumbbell over his head. "Yeah no kidding! I flew the Gulf War today and racked up 20 enemy kills!" Knuckles' clone informed them. "I had no idea the Americans had that much aerial superiority back then!" Sally, while washing her hair said, "No Knux. It was overall superiority. They had land, sea, _and_ aerial power." "Who asked you?" The echidna said tossing his cards down. He had won the hand easily.

Sally's clone rubbed herself with the soap. "I didn't need to be asked. One is supposed to be knowledgeable in all forms of combat if you are to succeed. I have also studied up on the Interplanetary War, the Human/Covenant War, and the more recent Second Rainforest War. It's curious how humans can continue finding ways to kill each other. Ryan's clone laughed and punched a hanging bag. "Human nature I guess. We were apparently always the _warrior race_."

Sally finished with her shower and exited her stall. "Any of you guys have a towel?" she asked. The male clones were not educated yet in the ways of attraction and their hormones were not yet functioning and wouldn't for another month. You show them a Playboy centerfold and they would say, 'Yeah, so?' "Yeah, right here." Chris said pitching her a towel. She padded herself down fluffing her fur here and there. "How do I look?" She said showing off. "Like the goddess Aphrodite." Chris's clone said with slight sarcasm. "You're a jerk." She said sticking her tongue out at him. The human clone childishly returned the gesture.

"Seriously though, Sal. You look way better than the Original." Sonic's clone complimented. Sally bowed. "Thank you. You see; that's what a gentlemen sounds like, Chris." "Shut up and get dressed. I'm tired of seeing your tits all the time." "Fuck you." "I love you too, Princess."

"_Attention clones. This is Doctor Robotnik!_ _How is everyone currently doing?_" Sonic's clone responded, "We're doing OK, Doc. There's a slight shouting match here but we're fine." "_Well, I'm going to need you all to get ready and report to my quarters immediately. Your mission is about to begin_." The clones hopped to. They had been waiting for this moment for a while. It was what they were training for.

The clones rushed past a few Kaminoans on their way to the elevator. They still had no idea what or who they were. They entered the elevator and took it up to the upper ring. It was quite a wild sight watching the six try to emerge from the elevator at the exact same time.

"Get moving!" Tails demanded. "Shut up, small fry." Kunckles said brushing him aside. "Hey! Did someone just touch my ass?" Sally's clone demanded. "Sorry that was me." Ryan's clone confessed. The female's clone wound up and sent a punch that lifted Ryan an inch off the ground. It also sent a tooth out of his lip and rebounded off the elevator wall. Tails' clone and Sonic's clone grumbled as they dragged Ryan's unconscious body out of the elevator. Twice the doors closed on his body but eventually he got through.

Robotnik was already waiting for them. "Greetings, my children!" He said cheerfully. "Greetings, father." They cooed lovingly. Ryan's clone moaned loudly." "What happened to him?" Robotnik asked. "He fell down some stairs." Sally said hiding her fist that had Ryan's blood on it. Eggman wasn't an idiot though. "That's what makes you my favorite, Sally, your _gusto_ for making people suffer." She smiled while her clone siblings glared daggers into the back of her skull. "You wanted to talk to us about our mission, father?" Knuckle's clone asked. "Indeed. I have something to show you. Come in, come in."

The clones followed the Doctor into his room. They had never been in this room before and looked around with curiosity. "Eyes here, clones." He ordered. Each of them locked eyes on the Doctor's mirrored glasses. "Now, I believe you are ready to depart on the mission I have bred you for. This jewel," He said producing the Sol Emerald that brought them to this universe "is the reason that we're stuck here. The only way we can get back is if we find another emerald called the Sith Blood Emerald. The Sith were an ancient warrior race which either obtained or created this ancient stone either by alchemy or technological means. I don't suspect the first possibility since alchemy is quite complicated and to create something so powerful such as this Emerald would take millions of years alone. If we get our hands on it we can go home." _And in turn, create my army!_

"Now, as it seems that the ship that is looking for this Emerald is a destroyer by the name of the _Phoenix_." A picture of the _Phoenix_ appeared on the wall behind him. "You will venture out and find the Blood Emerald for me. I will not be far behind you and I will always be in constant contact. Are there any questions?" Sally's clone raised her hand. "Yes. Sally."

"This may sound a little weird, but do you know where the Emerald even is? I don't want this to be a guessing game with an entire galaxy to explore." Robotnik opened his mouth with a chiding answer to her question but the retort died in his throat. "Uh…no I don't. This is all guesswork and we will have to work on a few err…assumptions for lack of a better term." "Great. Hit and miss tactics." Kunckles whispered to Sonic. "Silence." Robotnik said curtly.

"Anything else before I dismiss you?" Tails' hand shot up. "Answer, Miles." The Doctor prompted. "Will we be encountering the originals on this mission?" Robotnik thought about it. "It would be safe to assume that. If the UNSC are acting the way I suspect they are, and they usually are, I would consider it a strong possibility." Tails said calmly yet dangerously, "We'll get them for what they did to you, father." Robotnik smiled. "That's all I ask. Your primary objective is the Emerald, but if any of your originals come into contact with you, eliminate them." Ryan's clone asked, "How will we know whether they are one of us or not?" Robotnik gave is a split-second thought. A code word would be sufficient. That will be for you to decide though, not me." There was silence for a few more seconds. "Nothing else? Well, you are dismissed. Meet me down in the atrium and we'll have you suited up."

The clones met in the atrium where the Doctor and two robots were waiting with racks of red-gray armor. Stamped onto the left pec guard was Robotnik's symbol. They slipped the armor over their heads and clipped them on. The boots were all measured to size and so were the pads and gauntlets. Within five minutes, they were clone commandos after Robotnik's own heart.

"Well, now that you've suited up, report to your ship. The Prime Minister has graciously lent me one of his starships. Please don't crash it and make a fool of me please." The clones had a small bout of laughter and went out into the storm that continued to rage on. "So this is rain." Sally's clone said feeling every pebble sized drop hit her body, cooling it quickly. "It feels so _good_!" Sonic mumbled, "I don't like it." "You don't like anything, Sonic." Sally joked.

Their ship was located on the other side of the landing pads. It was a fifty-meter long vessel that was smoothly shaped. Regardless of its beauty, the clones could easily spot the gun turrets in their perches waiting to attack when activated.

The group entered the ship and took up positions. Tails' clone offered to fly because he had the highest rating in the simulators. The others reluctantly agreed and soon enough, they were flying though the stratosphere. Eventually, there was even a faint bit of sunlight as they came above the cloud cover. A few minutes later, they were in space. "It's so beautiful." Ryan said looking at the system star far in the distance. Kamino was just a ball with white cloud bands and crackling lightning. "When we find the _Phoenix_ guys, we are gonna wipe the sky with the originals' faces!" Chris said confidently. The rest of the clones agreed with enthusiastic crows.

Robotnik's cruiser was just behind them. "_Alright clones. Here are the jump coordinates. We'll start our search there. Any objections_?" "None, Doctor." They all said. "_Very well then. Enjoy your flight now._" Eggman finished before closing the channel. The Kaminoan ship banked in space and angled itself correctly in the vacuum. Soon, its engines flared and the pair of space vessels shot into Hyperspace.


	20. Chapter 19: Reunion

Chapter 19: Reunion

December 24th 3237

Coruscant

_The Last Round_

Two Years. It had taken these two tired men two years to cross space to reach the Galactic Capital of Coruscant. Technically it was much shorter than this but the overall time that had passed since they left Manaan made all the difference. After they had taken off from the planet things were smooth sailing for a bout a day or two then the hyperdrive core had engine trouble. Jolee had experience in hyperdrives and attempted to help the engineers out. The core was fried out which forced them to land on a planet the galaxy had almost completely forgot about. The name was unpronounceable to the Captain. He believed it was something called _Lk'hakmelaquan'ka _or something like that. Yikes.

What was even better, the Planet (as Chris had resorted to calling it) was populated by a bunch of simple minded humans and aliens who wanted nothing better than to till the ground for food and harvest crops. Almost none of the 250,000 people on the world knew about machines other than combines or speeders. A small handful had extensive training in computer engineering and even a smaller group at that owned and operated spaceships. With their help, the techs were able to spend a week and get the Hyperdrive core up and running so they could leave the Planet.

After they got back into Hyperspace, fights broke out around the ship. One man was killed in the fight by a stray blaster shot. He wasn't even involved in the conflict. Chris used his Marine authority to bring justice since there weren't many Republic troops on the ship. He told Jolee a day after, "_Great, all the ships at the spaceport and we pick the one they decided to reenact _Fight Club_ on_."

Eventually the ship did reach Coruscant but even then they were nowhere near stepping on the planet's surface. Since the War ended with the Mandalorians and with the new Sith threat rearing it's head from the darkness of space, security was beefed up a hundredfold. As soon as the ship dropped out of Hyperspace, a Republic Hammerhead cruiser known as the _Harbinger_ requested them dock at the nearest orbital facility for customs checks.

Republic soldiers boarded the ship and requested everyone have background and bunkroom checks. The came into Chris and Jolee's room and started with the old man. Once they saw the lightsaber they didn't need to ask him any more questions. Instead, the sergeant turned to Chris and started pestering him. He picked up Chris' Desert Eagle. "_Is this your weapon?_" "_Yes sir._" "_It doesn't look like a blaster._" "_No sir, it's a slughthrower._" "_What would you be doing with a slughthrower? They're no longer common in the galaxy._" "_I bought it on Kashyyyk._" "_There's nothing on Kashyyyk but trees and wookiees. Are you lying to me?_" "_No sir. There was a Czerka Corporation outpost on that planet._" The sergeant frowned as the thought of an arrest slipped away from him. Slughthrowers (Or projectile weapons) were no longer common in this galaxy as BlasTech started grabbing hold. Thus being said, if you had a slughthrower on you, you were either a prospector, antique fanatic, or a black market trader in the Underworld. Chris didn't look like a prospector or an antique fanatic. "_Oh right, I forgot about that. OK, civilian, we're done here._" The sergeant turned on his heel and curtly left the room. Jolee patted his shoulder. "Nice work, boy." He whispered.

Eventually the ship was released from the orbital docking facility. It coasted through the atmosphere and Chris and Jolee saw the buildings. Chris looked at the skyscrapers and he remembered a passage from the Old Testament where a bunch of people tried to build a large tower that stretched into the sky and tried to reach God. They also spoke one language too. God apparently got angry and struck down the tower and made the people speak different languages. One look at these towering buildings made him think, _I think they've met God and they did a damn good job of it_. Months later, he would realize that the one language was Galactic Basic which was the official language of Coruscant much like the official language of Earth was Standard or English as it was also known.

Despite the obvious alien designs of the architecture, he was reminded of home back in New York City which he had not been in for close to three years now. The passenger freighter coasted to a landing at a local spaceport where he and everyone else were ushered off the ship. The crewmen claimed that they were behind schedule and they had to get out of there post haste. The Marine and the ex-Jedi shielded their eyes as the freighter climbed into the air and blended in with the rest of Coruscant's local air traffic. Jolee shrugged and said with a half-smile to Chris, "_Well, let's got a move on!_"

Despite Chris' initial thoughts, searching a planet with one trillion inhabitants was no easy task. The best place where they could have started was in the Upper City where the cream of the population resided. From there it was absolutely no luck and there was no chance of finding them because of security guards blocking select buildings and cordoned off areas. The Middle City actually offered something of a success. The two encountered Chris' major, Major Graham Lovitz.

Lovitz owned a not-too-shabby Middle City Condominium with a window-side view. He was staying there with a few other Marines that decided to stick with them. He welcomed the two in and asked about their success with finding another map piece as well as the rumors of how he alone snuck off a Sith cruiser. Chris asked about his squad. Lovitz said that he saw Sergeant Johnson somewhere flying a new ship. Chris' heart soared. If the guys had a ship, that would mean they would get off the planet and find that last map piece! They stayed overnight and in the morning they left. The major told them about a place where all the Marines and Navy would gather if the _Phoenix_ ever returned to Coruscant. Not surprisingly, it was the same Senate spaceport platform they had landed on their first day in this universe. With that, they left to continue their search with Lovitz and his Marines wishing them luck.

Then came the Lower City. Chris had seen the poor districts of Earth before, people living in slums with barely any money to keep themselves alive. What he saw down here almost broke his heart to see. Men, women and children of all sorts of races were huddling in corners around fires, scrounging in barrels and trying to kill each other over a few credits or a few scraps of food.

As soon as the people saw the two come down off the elevator, they ran towards them literally _throwing_ themselves at their feet screaming things like, "_My baby is dying! We need medicine!_" "_Please, mate! Got a credit on you, eh?_" "_Master Jedi, please help us! We need you to help, please!_" Chris sadly shook them off and left them to sulk in the shadows. It was clear to him the Coruscant's beauty was only superficial and the true planet lay in ruins and slums. "_It's hard to bear, kid. It's always said that life always needs to be in perfect balance with the rich and the poor._" Chris turned to him and asked, "_And what do you see here, Jolee?_" Bindo had sighed, "_I don't know, son. I just don't know. It's definitely not balance that's for damn sure_."

They didn't even bother trying the Undercity which according to some people was the worst possible place to go. They said that the planet's surface was swamped with radioactivity and that it had mutants roaming the sewers. One would have to be mad to try and go down there. So, they turned away from the elevator shaft and continued their search.

And here they were in the winter of 3237, completely out of luck and almost out of credits. Chris had spent his money from Manaan a while ago and they had received money by bartering, by gambling and occasionally a small Jedi Mind Trick here and there. Jolee claimed that it would only be done on the wicked and that there was no greater insult than swindling a good natured citizen of his or her hard earned money. They were currently in the Middle City of Coruscant in a fairly large bar/restaurant called _The Last Round_. Chris was sitting at the counter drinking his head off. Jolee had given up on the bottle long before the Captain did. What surprised Jolee as he watched the young man kock back drink after drink was how he could have held on for as long as he did. Many people he knew during his life wouldn't have spent _half_ the time he did looking for his friends.

The bartender shuffled up to Chris and droned, "Sir, I believe you've had enough for the night." Chris shook his head. "No, I want to keep going. I'm paying for this stuff, why should you care?" "Sir, I believe you should stop drinking." "Listen, droid-" "Sir that is enough. I'm cutting you off until you sober up. Have a good night." "Hey wait a second, you can't just-" but the droid bartender just shuffled away. "Un-fucking-believable." He groaned and leaned back into his seat. Jolee said, "What happened to you, Chris?" "What you talking 'bout, Jolee?" "Well, two years ago, and even one year ago you were full of energy and you were almost eager to start this little quest of yours. Now you've just spiraled down to the bottom." The Captain shrugged. "Well, we've been having it a little rough and I think that after two years, it's time to call it quits. You know, just give up." "GIVE UP?!" He said loudly. "Give up what are you…what are you thinking that's not how it's supposed to work!" "Well, think about it, Jolee: We haven't seen hide or hair of the guys in 24 of my months. What's the point of going on? They could possibly be dead!" "NO! I _can_ feel them on this planet! You just need to get off your ass and go look for them! It's your destiny!" Chris rolled his eyes. "Look, enough with the 'destiny' thing already."

A waitress came out of the restaurant section of the bar. She obviously was finished her shift because she was putting a coat on. "I'm punching out for the night, Vorn! See you later!" She shouted to the alien in the kitchen. "OK, Sally! See you later!" That sobered Chris at once and he twirled around in his seat. "Did I hear what I think I just heard?" He asked Jolee. He managed to see the waitress' face despite the low light in _The Last Round_. It _was_ her! Sally Acorn had barely changed since the last time Chris had seen her aboard the _Leviathan_. The only thing that he could really say was different was her longer hair which had grown to a healthy waist length. "Jolee. She was here and we didn't even know it! That's a miracle!" Jolee said, "Will of the Force, boy. Now are you going to catch her or lose her again?" Chris scoffed. "That's a given." He got up and started for the exit. "How come you didn't tell me she was here?" Bindo shrugged. "I honestly didn't know. There are way too many people on Coruscant for me to pin the location of six people; too much life in one place. It's both a good thing and a bad thing at the same time."

They followed Sally outside the bar and trailed a bit behind her, about ten meters. They couldn't lose her since she had the bright red hair which stood out against the greens, yellows and brown of the crowd. "Wait until she's in a secluded area. We don't want her to panic and possibly attack you." "Know that from experience, Jolee?" "Perhaps." Sally took a left turn then a right where there was an almost deserted street with the exception of a few utility droids sweeping the walkway.

"Excuse me miss?" He called out. The Princess turned around. "Yes?" he froze for a second. "Do you know me, ma'am?" Sally took a good look at him. "You're that drifter that just blew into this Town. You sure know how to drink! I'm sorry though, I don't know who you are." Chris sighed sadly. His appearance had changed in the last two years so much that she didn't recognize him anymore. "OK, can I tell you something that might make you remember?" she nodded. "You're name is Sally Alicia Acorn. You are 22 years old. You arrived here in a ship called the _Phoenix_."

Her eyes widened. "How did you know that? Who are you and why are you following me?" Chris decided to continue against his better judgment to answer her question. "Approximately two standard years ago your ship was boarded and you and a few friends were kidnapped and brought aboard a ship called the _Leviathan_ where you were able to escape with the exception of one man-" Suddenly Sally grabbed his shirt and slammed him into the wall. The sound echoed in the empty pathway. Acorn pulled out a blaster, slicked the safety off and pointed it at his face. Chris breathed slowly wondering if she was actually going to shoot him.

Jolee pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it. This made Sally flinch. "Who ARE you?!" She demanded. A few tears were starting to flow from her eyes. "That was one of the worst moments of my life! I never wanted to think about it again! If you're with the Sith I swear to God I will shoot you in the fucking face and kill you where you stand. ANSWER ME!"

Chris gulped and started to sweat. "The man you thought was dead wasn't killed. He managed to get off the ship and fly around the galaxy looking for you and the others. He came to Coruscant…" Suddenly, he saw that she had dropped the blaster and was staring straight into his eyes, which were wide and ready to burst with tears. "_Chris_…?" she asked quietly. The Captain nodded his head. "It's me, Sally." The Princess suddenly lost her balance and fell forward crying loudly. Chris caught her and she cried into his shoulder. Her loud sobs echoed in the night.

"You're ALIVE!" She said with a hint of joy in her voice. "You're ALIVE!" She repeated. "I was so scared! I didn't mean a word of what I said to you on the _Leviathan_! I know you were just mad…Oh Chris, please forgive me!" Chris laughed and said, "No, it wasn't your fault in any way. I walked myself into that mess by calling you, 'that name'. She cried happily and kissed him. "You've changed a lot." She said. "I might have, but you on the other hand didn't change at all. How are the others?" "They're good, Chris. Actually they're _great_! Who's your friend?" she asked wiping her tears away. "Oh forgive me. Sally, this is Jolee Bindo, _EX_-Jedi Kinght." Jolee bowed deeply. "Your Highness, a privilege." She smiled. "Oh, get up Master Jedi. I'm no princess here, just a girl trying to make a living. Oh shit! That reminds me! Chris, Tails is a Jedi now!"

"No way. I mean, how? Jolee always told me that you need to be an infant to be even _considered_ to join the Jedi Order!" Bindo huffed. "Now have I never said to you that there are exceptions? Was this young boy strong in the Force?" "Exceptionally, or so I'm told." Sally said. "The there you go! Those that hear the call of the Force stronger than others are often considered even after the required age or if they're "too old" by Jedi standards." "Yeah or something like that. Listen, how about we go back to the apartment and then you can tell everyone about how you got away! I want to hear this!"

The trio walked to the entrance of an apartment complex. Sally opened the door and stepped inside first. "The others may be a bit surprised to see you alive. I want to see the reaction of whoever answers the door first." She said with a smirk. They entered an elevator and it rose upwards. The Captain watched the buildings slide downward ever so slightly with a slight feeling of vertigo. He was never really used to turbolifts or even regular elevators with a window view for that matter.

The door pinged and the doors opened to a hallway. Sally stepped out first and led the two other men down the hall. "This way. We're the third on the right." She said pointing to a sign that read '516-29' Chris knocked on the door three times and waited. Jolee stood behind them with his hands behind his back admiring the artwork on the wall. The door slid open near silently. The person who answered was Bunnie Rabbot. Like Sally, she too had grown her hair out but likewise, she didn't change in appearance. She saw Sally and said, "Sally-girl! How was work, shugah? Who's this?" She asked. When she saw her wide smile, she did a double take on the human.

"Oh my stars! Is that…CHRIS?" "Howdy, Bunnie." Chris said. Bunnies cutinized him for a second. "You're…you're DEAD!" The human shrugged. "Apparently God thinks I'm too good for heaven and Satan doesn't want me to piss him off in hell." Bunnie half-laughed half-cried. "Chris…I'm sorry." She said holding a hand over her mouth to muffle the sniffles. "For what?" "I've...said terrible things about you after we left. I thought you'd given up on us but…here you are. I'm sorry." Chris hugged her. "Relax. I'm back and we're going to get home." She said, "There you are." And kissed him on the cheek. "Welcome back, shugah."

The captain hastily released her and looked inside. Johnson, Rouge and Ryan were staring at him as though they couldn't believe what they were seeing. "Is that a ghost, Sarge?" Ryan asked. Avery looked at the Corporal and said, "Ryan, you're an idiot." He came up and shook Chris' hand. "I don't want to know how you did it, but props on getting the hell out of there. Looking forward to working with you again, sir." "Better hope so because I'm never letting any of you out of my sight again!"

Ryan and Rouge marched up to Chris and saluted. "Hey Cap, Rouge and I got together!" Percy said triumphantly. "Good for you. How are you doing so far?" "Well, we share several 'interests'." He said winking. Rouge giggles happily. Sally shoved him in. "Come on. I want to hear everything you did after we escaped. Don't leave anything out. This could go into one of our autobiographies someday." Jolee introduced himself to the rest of the group. They were equally amazed that a Jedi joined their cause. The living room was spacious with a large window stretching across the wall. Even in the Middle City this was quite lavish, almost Upper City quality. "Quick question: How did you pay for all this? A Senator's annual salary could afford this." Rouge answered that question. "I paid for it using the Krayt Dragon pearl we found on Tatooine, remember?" Chris nodded. "Yeah, I remember. Alright children, gather 'round." The other members of the squad took seats and listened intently.

The Captain started off with his interrogation with Darth Malak. He showed some of the scars he received and even let Ryan touch one to show them they were real. He talked about his escape from Karath's hands and his emergency landing on Kashyyyk where he met Jolee Bindo (who waved his hand with a smile). He described Jolee's help which got his ship repaired and travelling to Manaan. The story about his travel to the bottom of the sea gave the group slight chills. When he mentioned the map piece though, everyone looked directly at him. "Hold the phone, Captain!" Johnson interjected. "You're saying you've found _another_ map piece?" The Captain drew out the cube which was still slightly encrusted with dead lichen. "Story's gonna have to wait." Sally said climbing over the chair and sitting directly in front of the cube. "NICOLE, analyze." She said drawing out the computer. "_Roger that, Sally. I'm going to need the captain to activate it though. Nice to have you back, by the way. Forgive me but I didn't predict very high odds for your survival_." Vennettilli shrugged. "No offence taken."

He touched the little cube's button and it hissed open. It unfolded like a metal flower and the holographic projector at the bottom warmed up and vaporized what little sea water remained. "You've never opened it before?" Sally asked puzzled. "Wanted all of us to be together." Sally smiled. "Pushover." The galaxy map appeared with the coordinates popping up in ancient text. "NICOLE, you getting this?" "_Roger, Princess. All coming together. They appear to be hyperspace coordinates but for where I can't place. Still incomplete. We need one more map piece to make it work._" "Fuck." Sally cursed.

"You guys have a ship? I met Major Lovitz and he said that Johnson had a ship with him." Johnson said, "He told you right. That ship we escaped on is still with us. It's a beautiful little thing called the _Ebon Hawk_. I'll show her to you tomorrow in case you don't remember. Right now, I'm gonna hit the hay." He yawned and headed off. Ryan nodded. "Me and Rouge are gonna get to bed too." "Don't you dare wake me up, you two. That's an order."

Sally, Chris, Jolee and Bunnie were the last ones in the room. "Do you two see Tails often in the Temple?" The two sighed. "No not really. We saw him about two weeks ago. The Jedi don't let us in very often. They say such attachments would lead to darkness." Sally said. "That's utter _garbage_." Jolee said angered. Chris told the girls, "I forgot, Jolee has a bit of a beef with the Jedi Council and their views." "With good reason! I can't believe that they would fill their heads with stuff like that. Love is not the path to the Dark Side, _Passion _is. Passion can be controlled though. It's not the same as love."

"Well, the Jedi Council thinks differently. They _literally_ shut the doors on our faces. We'll see if we can go and see him tomorrow. Maybe Jolee can help us there." Chris actually thought he saw Jolee acting hesitant. "Uh, sure…OK." Sally nodded. "Then it's settled. We leave tomorrow morning. We'll see if we can get Tails to come with us. He's made some modifications to the Tornado so he's been assigned to the Temple launch bays." "Naturally." "Well, I recommend you get some sleep then, shugah. We're going to leave in the morning." Bunnie said as she got up and clapped Chris on the shoulder. "Merry Christmas, Captain." _Christmas?_

Sally saw his shocked face. "_Christmas_?" He asked her aloud. "Yes, it's December 24th, Chris." He couldn't believe it! He had gone two years and never celebrated Christmas even once! On top of that, he didn't even have a gift! Wait a minute…

"Sally, its Christmas but I thought I didn't have a gift. But it turns out I do…" He brought out his backpack and cocked her head quizzically. She even sniffed the air with a small trace of animal instinct. He pulled out her .357, picture and doll. She nearly gasped when she saw her childhood toy. She grabbed it from his hands and brought it close to her. "Chris…thanks again." She also grabbed her revolver and picture. She set them on the counter and turned to face him. "You're tired aren't you?" Chris nodded and rubbed his eyes. "Maybe. Searching a planet really takes it out of you." Sally laughed softly. "Maybe we should get to bed then." Chris did a double take. "We?" She nodded. "Yeah. Come on." She pulled him up and she walked towards her room. "Jolee, what about you?" the old hermit made the 'forget it' gesture. "Ah, don't worry about Jolee Bindo. Go, be young. I'll crash on the couch. I'll try not to barge in later on." "Seriously old man…!" "I'm just kidding! You should have seen your face there!"

"Comfy bed you have." Chris said sitting down on it. He forgot what it was to sleep on a nice soft bed. He had mostly just been in hotels and inns where the mattresses were less than miraculous. But this was…heaven dare he think it. "It is. You ready?" Sally asked. "For what? OH! Oh right!" "Wow, you've been really disconnected haven't you? I can't believe you even stopped to think about what I meant!" "Well, two years is a bit of a while. I haven't been with a woman in this time." "No? You didn't even…" "No, if you want to pry." "Man, when you commit, you COMMIT! Lay back though. Relax." Chris did as he was told and soon she was on top of him. She grabbed his shoulders and forced him into the mattress. "Relax…"

She kissed his neck tenderly. It sent shivers up his spine. Lower and lower it got until she reached his chest. She pulled his shirt off (all this time he was immobilized) and rubbed up against him. "I think that's good-" "Shut up." She pulled off her top and lay on him. "Come on." She whispered. "Do it." It was so soft, so…_seductive_, like the siren call that led young men to their deaths on the sea. Like the ancient mythological creatures of Greece, she too was deadly. He let himself go though. He realized that he was safe with her again. He embraced her tightly. The rest of the night was a blur.

Chris' internal clock woke him up at around eight the next morning. A fair amount of sun was poking through. He was actually quite energized. Had his little 'experience' last night given him a boost? He had no idea but he felt like the happiest guy in the universe. Sally's arm was draped over him in a vice grip-like lock. He tried to struggle out of it but she wouldn't let him. The Captain heard her giggle at his feeble attempts. "Where you going?" she whispered. "Stay a little while longer. The separation really _worked_ for you!" the princess kissed him on the cheek. "Can we do it again?" Chris laughed. "Maybe. We have a job to do now." Sally sat up and looked at him. "It's always job this, job that, when are we going to have time together? I really did miss you! I feel that I need to get to know you all over again!" Chris brought her head to his chest. "Tell you what: We find Tails, get our asses into space again, we can have all the crazy 'us time' your heart desires." Sally got out of the bed and started to get dressed. "With that, we're off."

They needed to take the _Ebon Hawk_ to the Jedi Temple. From there they could look for Tails. The Captain and Jolee stared at the single gleaming spire of the Temple. It stood like a single jutting sliver of metal into the sky. It was taller than most if not all buildings on Earth. "It's beautiful." The Captain said as their elevator rose to the top of the building. "She sure is, isn't she? It's not very old either. Only a few hundred years I think." "Considering the Republic's been in existence for 20,000 years, yeah, that's not old at all."

The _Ebon Hawk_ was situated on a pad at the very top of the complex. She was instantly recognizable to Chris. "That her?" He asked. Sally nodded her head. "Yup. You remember it?" "Oh yeah. She any good?" Johnson laughed and stuck a cigar in his mouth. "Fastest ship in the galaxy, baby!" the sergeant said punching in the code to make the ramp extend. "After you, sirs." He said saluting. The Princess entered first and motioned the others to follow. "I think I'm going to like it here." Jolee said.

The inside of the _Ebon Hawk_ was actually pretty friendly. Brightly lit corridors filled the ship. A large room with a holographic projector was situated in the center of the ship, bunk rooms were hidden in two of the three prows and a dual barreled turbolaser dominated the top of the vessel. "Everyone strap in. Baby here has some hella powerful torque." Johnson advised as he booted up the engines. Chris took up position in the copilot seat while Sally and Jolee braced themselves next to the navicomputer. Farther aft, Ryan, Bunnie and Rouge sat in the seats and clicked the belts on. The engines started up with a whine then the freighter lifted into the air. "Come on, Sergeant. Show me what this thing can do! Punch it!" Sally's eyes grew wide with fear. "Chris, you really need to learn when to shut your-" Then the acceleration forced the words down her throat.

The _Ebon Hawk_ shattered two sound barriers within the first ten seconds of flight. Chris's head was slammed into the back of his acceleration chair so fast his neck bruised. He fought to keep consciousness but was losing that flight. He was about to black out when Johnson took the hint and eased up on the throttle. Blood rushed back into everyone's head. Sally cam up and slapped Johnson so hard his cap flew off. "What the hell, bitch?" "Stay under the limit, sergeant." "Yes, princess."

The _Hawk_ coasted over to the Temple in nothing short of record time. A brief radio crackle of the dockmaster asked for landing permits. Thankfully, they didn't seem to mind that the Chancellor's papers were out of date. The ship landed on the pad and everyone departed. The gate guard was a little apprehensive to let them in. Jolee dosed the young Jedi with a Mind Trick and they were in. Several Jedi looked at the newcomers with curious glances. None of them had seen any of their kind before. Big surprise.

Rouge looked at the large and ornate windows. "Wow, look at this place! It's like St. Peter's Basilica, but _bigger!_" Ryan nodded. "Yeah, it must have taken a hundred years to build this!" "If you ask me, it's missing something." Jolee said. "Like what?" Chris asked. "One spire. I mean, that's not attractive in any way. Needs at least four more to be even remotely beautiful!" The human captain curiously asked, "How long did you have to think about that?" "20 years, give or take a few months." Sally asked a young twi'lek boy, "Excuse me, can you point us in the direction of the hangars?" the alien child pointed a long finger to their left. "That way, strange lady." Sally's mouth twitched at that. "Thank you very much." "May the Force be with you." The youngling said before bowing. Chris couldn't help it. "Strange Lady? What did the kid say?" "To the left, stupid human." Sally shot back.

There was landing area all around the central spire and gardens but there was only one hangar in the entire Temple. It was quite large. Jedi technicians sped around at high speeds completing tasks no normal human or alien could accomplish. "Wow. Those guys could give shugah-hog a run for his money." Most of the guys cringed at Bunnie's pet name for Sonic. Bunnie's Texan prefixes were cute and all but _that_ was unacceptable.

"Where's our boy, Your Highness?" Chris asked. "Don't rush me Chris, I'm looking." _Stand still you guys! I can't see a single thing in here_. "Got him: He's two floors up at your two o' clock." The Captain spotted him immediately. Not many beings in the galaxy had two tails and spun them like helicopter blades. "TAILS!" the Marine called. To him, the sound seemed to barely puncture the chorus of metal and shouting, but to a fox, maybe he could pick it up.

He wasn't disappointed as Miles' ears twitched and he spun around. A wide smile broke on his face and he sped towards them. Prower ploughed into Sally knocking her clean off her feet in a hug. "Aunt Sally! Aunt Sally! I can't believe it! It's been so long!" Acorn struggled to pry him away. "Tails! It's only been a month!" "Yeah but what they have here is so _boring_! There's no challenge and I've read every single holobook in the archives _twice_!" Sally looked at him. "Tails. Look who it is." Miles turned about and froze as he saw Chris. Maybe it was his facial hair and small scars on his arms and legs that surprised him but he took a full ten seconds to study Chris. He then stepped forward and gave him a hug. That caught the Captain off guard. When he released him, the Marine looked at the young man he had become. Tails had grown his hair out too. Spiked locks hung over his eyes and a single braid hung behind his ear.

"You're alive! I always knew you were out there!" "Thanks for having faith. You're getting big." That was saying something. Tails was now up to Chris' nose. "Well, I'm a Padawan now! Got my own lightsaber and everything!" He whipped it out using the Force and showed it to his human friend. Chris took the weapon and looked it over. It was definitely Tails' own design. At the bottom he saw the familiar symbol of the Eagle with its wings spread over Mobius' flag. Tails would never forget who he was.

The young fox was confronted by Jolee who extended a hand. Tails took it and shook it. "Are you a Jedi?" "I was. Didn't seem happy with it so I went for a career change." Tails smiled fondly. He turned back to Sally. "What are you guys doing here?" "We're on a mission. We want you to come along." His smile vanished. "I can't. My Master would never-" "Your Master would never what?" A voice came from behind.

"_Master_!" Tails said surprised. The man that approached him was the same man Chris had met two years ago on the Senate platform. He still looked quite the same. "Greetings my young pupil. How go your practical studies?" "Quite well, Master Kavar." _Ah, that was his name._ Kavar noticed the group and said, "Who are your friends?" he smiled. "Master, this is Sally Acorn, Christopher Vennetiilli, Avery Johnson, Ryan Percy, Rouge the bat, and Bunnie Rabbot and Jolee Bindo. I believe I told you about them?" "Yes, you've told me many stories about them. Not Mister Bindo though." Jolee shifted his eyes. "I'm from the Enclave on Dantooine. I've been off the grid for a little while." Kavar nodded. "Indeed. Welcome to Coruscant, Jolee." "Pleasure."

"Now, I believe you said you needed to go on a mission? I believe that interferes with your Jedi Studies, my young Padawan." "Master, they need me. I can feel it in the Force. Something evil is forming in the galaxy, in more ways than one that are directly related to my friends. We need to stop Malak."

Kavar suddenly saw the same vision again with young Miles fighting a Sith Jedi. Christopher Vennettilli was in the background firing his assault rifle at Sith Troopers. Suddenly there was a new one. Sally was pointing a gun at Chris. "_Do it! You have to get one of us!_" he screamed. Sally shed one silver tear and pulled the trigger. There was a bright flash and the vision dissipated.

"I sense the urgency in your mission, my young apprentice. Take heed: This mission that you intend to depart on will be rife with sorrow and pain. These are gateways to the Dark Side. You must learn to avoid these in order to become higher elevated in the Force." Tails eyes shifted back and forth. "Wait. Master, you aren't coming with me?" "No, my young pupil. I believe that your friends can look after you. Your mission is well above my authority and you need to be back where you belong. I…I have my own places I need to be." "Where, Master?" "I…I don't know, really. The Force will guide me to where I must be. Be safe in your travels. May the Force be with you, Miles Prower." "To all of you: good luck." All of them nodded in agreement. "Come on, Tails. Let's go." Chris said. Miles hooked his lightsaber onto his belt and followed them away.

"I'm really glad you guys are taking me away from here." Tails said walking alongside his friends. Ryan and Rouge hooked hands together looking at the beautiful blue sky. "Any time Tails. You didn't seem very happy there." Sally said looking at the young fox. "Well, it's not that I wasn't happy, I felt that I wasn't out there where I belong. I need to be looking for the _Phoenix_ with you. That _is_ what we're going to do, right?" "Damn straight." Chris said flatly. Tails nodded in acknowledgement. "You have the _Ebon Hawk_? I have the Tornado. As soon as we find the bird, I can dock my baby onto her so I don't have to drag her along the whole way." "Good idea. We can grab some Marines when we intercept the ship. A section sound good?" Chris asked. Nobody answered. It wasn't that they were ignoring him. It was just a fireball that seemed to get closer and closer.

"What is that?!" Sally asked. "Looks like a ship or part of one anyway." Johnson noted. Tails said, "Wait, shouldn't the planetary defense systems take it out?" "Maybe it's just too far in. Guns have minimum _and_ maximum ranges." Ryan said. "NICOLE. Scan that hull for anything. It could possibly be the _Phoenix_…" "_Scanning now. Stand by, I have to work through the molecular interference with the friction. Hold on…Got it… You aren't going to believe this_." "What? Is it the _Phoenix_?" "_No, not the _Phoenix. _The half that we're seeing is shaped in such a way that it suggests a UNSC frigate. That's weird. What's a UNSC ship-and one of that model-get here_?" Chris stepped forward and spoke to NICOLE, "Did you can the ship's hull registration or find a name in the databases?" "_Just coming up now. Um…Hull Registration FFG-201._ _No name, probably messed up computers. That mean anything to you_?" Nobody spoke at first but Chris's eyes opened up when it came to him. "_Forward Unto Dawn_."

The Mobians didn't say anything but Ryan and Johnson got the message. Ryan seemed to get the same revelation that Chris did. "THE _Forward Unto Dawn_? Holy shit! I thought that half was drifting in space!" "Evidently what happened at Installation 00 made it come here." Tails said, "But wait. Installation 00 was 684 years ago! How did it happen to appear _now_?" Chris placed his cap on his head. "Unsolved mystery of the universe. We need to get aboard that ship. If I'm right, there's somebody on board that wants to be woken up." Rouge asked, "Who?" Chris cracked a half-smile. "Him." Johnson finished his cigar and tossed the butt off the ziggurat. "Been waiting for this for a long, long time." He said as the fiery end of the _Dawn_ ploughed through some buildings into the lower levels of Coruscant. Jolee furiously said, "Will somebody _please_ explain what the hell is going on here to me?!"


	21. Chapter 20: Reveille

Chapter 20: Reveille

December 26th, 3237, 0722 hours

Coruscant

En route to _Forward Unto Dawn_

The _Ebon Hawk_ wouldn't be able to get anywhere near the burning hulk. Already emergency vehicles were swarming around the hole where the _Dawn_'s rear end ploughed through the cityscape. Even from this distance, sirens and emergency lights were visible. A Hammerhead even descended from orbit to assist in firefighting. There was turmoil too. Final estimates for bodies was still coming in but the count was currently mounting five thousand citizens killed by the falling ship's fire, metal, and mass; so much pain for something so irrelevant.

Regardless, they got the bird as close as they could. The freighter's engines flared in the sunlight. Johnson piloted the ship so that it nimbly flipped and rolled over smaller ships and in between buildings. Johnson may have had training to pilot just about any ship but the Captain couldn't take his antics for much longer. Chris sat strapped into the copilot seat forced to watch the cyclone of shapes and color that was Avery's corkscrews and helixes. His face was a shade of emerald green and his cheeks bulged trying to keep the pressure level. _It'll be over soon, C._ he constantly reminded himself. Sally had lumbered across the deck like a drunken sailor "Sergeant…I order you to-" but she upchucked into the waste receptacle. Johnson pulled out a pair of Ray Bans and put them on. "You ain't seen nothing yet, baby." Chris looked forward and said, "God in heaven save a seat for me."

Despite the fear, the _Ebon Hawk _made it safely without even disrupting traffic. They were able to land the ship about a kilometer from the hole on a public airstrip. The freighter touched down and Johnson deactivated her. Chris unstrapped himself and shakily stood up. "Good flying I guess Sarge." Johnson snickered to himself happily. Chris clapped Sally on the shoulder. "Shake it off, Princess." He said flatly. Sally retched and continued her vomiting.

The Captain entered the center section of the ship. Everyone else was recuperating from the agonizing flight. Ryan had passed out from G-forces and Tails was using a selection of smelling salts to get him up and running again. Ryan groaned since the Ammonia irritated his mucous membranes. "Welcome back big guy." Tails said with a smile. "How was happy land?" "Sucky." Chris stood with hands on hips. "Alright ladies, up and at 'em! Most of you are recovering from extremely high G-forces. That's OK but we need to get moving." Everyone assembled. "OK, let's hear it, Cap." Bunnie said clenching her metallic fist in anticipation.

"This ship below us has the most important soldier in it. I don't know for sure but I want to recover that soldier." Sally leaned back on her chair. "Who the hell are we talking about Chris? In case you forgot, we've been separated from humanity for over a thousand years!" Chris removed his cap. "OK, crash course on military history. In 2517, the UNSC started a program called SPARTAN II. It was a top-secret program established by ONI. Children were gathered from all over the galaxy to become Spartans. Medical augmentations that made them superior to us mere mortals, incredible mental training and proficiency in just about every form of weaponry were only a few of the things that were done to these kids. By the time they were 14, they already had substantial body counts." Sally whistled.

"The most distinguished of all these Spartans was Spartan 117, only known as John or Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan 117. He murdered _scores_ of Covenant infantry with his bare hands and thousands more with weaponry on both sides. In 2552, John destroyed Installation 04 by detonating the cruiser _Pillar of Autumn_'s fusion reactors. He killed the high Prophet of Regret, Destroyed the Flood and did a major number of Installation 00 outside the galaxy. His ship disappeared shortly after…" Tails finished it off. "…and ended up here." "Right."

Johnson's eyes darted left to right. "But how? He must have crossed some quantum gateway or something like that." "Regardless, we're going down to get either him or his corpse. I want to know if it's him. He can help us. Problem: I need a few of you to stay behind and watch the ship. I need two others to come with me." Rouge rolled her eyes. "I know who it's going to be." "Sally, and Miles." The bat sat up straight. "OK, Sally I expected but not Tails." Chris explained. "Tails has the expertise required to operate any UNSC equipment that we may need to get past. Last time I checked Rouge, I don't think you can hack into a shipboard supercomputer." "Point taken, get the hell out there." "Move out, guys." The Captain ordered.

The three Marines ran outside towards the nearest turbolift. A Republic soldier guarded the entrance. "Hold it there civilian. You're not getting past this door." Chris stepped forward. "We're on an official mission. We need to get into the Undercity." The officer cocked his head and smiled mockingly. "I'm sure you do. Why don't you turn around and go back the other way nice and quiet like, eh?" They could see in their peripheral vision that the soldier's hand hovered over his holster. "I'm sorry but I don't think we're going to do that." The Captain said. "Shame. Now I'm going to have to splatter your scorched remains over the wall."

The Republic soldier whipped out his blaster quickly. Chris was quicker though. He activated his Bullet Time reflex to grab the gun out of his hands and throw it over the railing. As an added measure, he grabbed his arm and forced him into a half nelson. "Are you going to let us into the Undercity?" "Go to hell, civilian." "Thought you'd say that. Sally, break his legs." Acorn cracked her neck and stretched her legs. "With pleasure boss." "Wait, wait, wait! Let's be civil now!" Chris pretended to be surprised. "Oh he wants to talk. OK, let's talk." He spun the frightened soldier around. "Are you going to let us in, or are you about to die needlessly? Somebody down there needs our help. You aren't going to stand in our way are you?" The soldier shook his head and actually started sniffling and blinking furiously. "You're afraid to die aren't you?" Chris asked. He nodded slowly. "Let us through and there won't be any trouble." The soldier tapped in the code and the elevator door opened. "Thank you." Chris said and whacked him across the head with his Desert Eagle.

"What did you do that for?" Tails asked looking at the soldier's unconscious body. "Don't want any reinforcements following us." "I can't guarantee that won't happen when someone finds him and wakes him up!" Sally shrugged. "We'll be in and out before then. Let's move."

The three entered the turbolift and punched in the Undercity. It wasn't a wonderful place to be. As soon as the car hit rock bottom, Chris regretted coming here. It was very dark with only a few scattered lights to filter through. This was truly the lowest of the Underlevels. Even a few hundred stories up, there was life even if it was sleazy and booze swilling. Here, it was just somber.

The _Dawn_'s tail section was plainly visible. The crashing through the buildings acted as a sort of primitive air break slowing the ship's descent to a point where she wouldn't be pulverized on impact. Search and Rescue teams haven't been down here yet to pick up the remains yet but they didn't want to take any chances. "Move up quickly. Don't stop for anything. I want to get aboard that ship." "Yes sir." The others responded.

They quickly jogged for the frigate. Twice they were ambushed by mutant rats that were quickly put down with bullets and a lightsaber. The ship got closer and closer until they could see the corridors that were exposed to air. The outer walls were dull red which suggested that they were still hot. "Get inside quickly; don't touch the walls until we get further in." Chris ordered. They did as they were told and stepped into a corridor. To their surprise, the door immediately opened as if they were expected. Chris' soldier sense was buzzing in the base of his skull. "Sally, get your gun out. Tails, light your glowstick." The Princess obeyed and pulled out her .357. Miles ignited his lightsaber with a _snap-hiss_ throwing a blue light around and a humming noise. "_Just to let you know, I can get you blueprints of this ship._" NICOLE suggested.

"How can you do that? This ship is 684 years old." Tails disputed. "_I just need to tap into the ship's data cluster and—what the hell?!"_ "What?!" Chris demanded. "_I've been locked out!_" "By an AI?" Sally asked. "_No, by Keith David surprisingly. OF COURSE AN AI!_" "Don't take that tone of voice with me, missy!" Sally warned. "Shut up the two of you." The Captain ordered. "I need to think about where we are."

For five solid minutes they were wandering around. Tails made a few marks on the walls with his lightsaber to prevent travelling in circles. Metal stressed here and there threatening to bring the _Dawn_ down on their heads. "I don't like this place." Tails said scared. "Keep it together, man." Vennettilli calmly said. Suddenly, the lights turned on. Chris' gun came up so fast the air hissed. They blinked their eyes in disorientation. "What the fuck?" Sally cursed. Tails said, "I think the AI wants us to go that way." He said pointing straight ahead of them. "What makes you say that, Tails?" Sally asked. "The lights are only going on in that direction." He pointed out. "It could be a trap, Chris." Sally advised. "_Agreed. We don't know what this AI went through. It could be rampant for all we know._" "I agree but we need to take the chance. It can't hurt us here." Sally and Tails locked uncertain glares for a second then obediently followed.

They followed the lights all over the ship until they reached what appeared to be a cryo bay. Cryo tubes lined the walls that weren't unlike the ones Johnson was found in. Only one though had lights on flickering at regular intervals. "That tube." Chris pointed. Sally found an assault rifle latched to the wall. Satisfied that it held ammo, she pointed it at the tube. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." A voice said. It originated from the holotank next to the cryotube. Right before their eyes, an AI appeared.

"Identify yourself." Chris curtly said. The AI folded her arms impatiently. "Don't you think that seems a little unnecessary here?" "I gave you an order AI." "OK, sheesh! And here I was thinking I'd be happy to see you. I am AI Cortana serial number CTN-0452-9. And you are...?" "Vennettilli, Captain, UNSCDF." "Great, about time we got help. Who are they?" "Acorn, Sergeant Major, UNSCDF." Sally said. At this, Cortana did a double take. "Did you say 'UNSCDF'?" "Want me to say it again?" "Just what _are _you?" "I'll get to that." Chris said impatiently. "Can you tell me the date, Cortana?" The AI cocked an eyebrow. "OK…December 26th 2552. I don't see why that's relevant, Captain." The Captain cracked a small smile. "I knew it. Cortana, it's December 26th, but it's 3237." The AI chuckled. "Very funny." She took on their straight faces though. "Wait…you're serious aren't you? It's 3237?! That doesn't make any sense! It was 2552 when we were at the Ark and that was only a few days ago!" Tails stepped forward. "Evidently you must have crossed a quantam gateway of some sort. What appeared to be a few days crossed over into this universe where it's 3237 in our calendar." Cortana placed a hand to her head taking it all in.

"Where are we?" Chris cleared his throat. "We're on a planet called Coruscant in a universe known as Star Wars. Can you do a reference check?" "Yes, I'm done already. If you're with the UNSC, apparently you don't belong here either. How did you get here?" "We can discuss that later when we rescue the Chief and get topside. Recovery teams will be here in minutes." "I never said this was the Chief. How did you know?" Chris shrugged. "Long story Cortana. You're ancient history on our Earth." "I'm so confused…" The poor AI said sadly. "Be confused. Tails, get the Chief up." "Alright, but I'm not familiar with this model of tube." Cortana put her hands on her hips. "OK, Cryonics for Dummies it is." The Princess said, "If it's so easy, why can't you do it?"

"The crash jumbled some of the subsystems on the ship. I want to revive him, but I can't since the circuits aren't functioning correctly. What do you think I've been trying to do lately?" "You mean you didn't anticipate crashing on an ecumenopolis?" "Well excuse _me_ if passive sensors are all I could use! I didn't know it was a city-planet!" Tails coughed, "Hey, can we thaw this guy out?" "Yes, thank you Mr…" "Prower, Miles Prower." Cortana nodded her head. "Thank you Mr. Prower. Forgive me for noticing but your name has a funny relation to the expression 'miles per hour'!" Tails laughed as he tapped the keyboard. "Yeah, I get that a lot. What's the first step?"

"First you want to raise the temperature on the inside of the tank. The thermostat's broken so you'll need to estimate." "_Or, they could use me to sense the temperature from the outside of the tank_." Cortana said, "What was that?" in a surprised tone. She had turned a shade of bright blue. Sally unlatched her computer from her leg holster. "This is NICOLE, my Artificial Intelligence." The AI looked at Chris. "AIs are commonplace now?" "Long story and I don't have the energy to tell it." Sally placed NICOLE on the side of the cryotank. "_OK, internal temperature 27 degrees Celsius and rising._" "Good! Keep going on that!" Cortana said with a smile. "_38 degrees and rising, 42 degrees, 50…_"

"Stop! That's enough! Let the gasses hold inside for approximately ten seconds then vent them to avoid burning." Tails tapped the wall for each second until he reached ten. The Mobian's hands danced across the panel and the hot vapor shot out of vents in the side of the cryotube. "He's hot! Stay away from the steam!" Tails warned. Everyone stepped back as steam filled the immediate area and fanned out on the ceiling. Tails looked at the screen that showed blue. "I'm getting an exception message. The temperature is stabilized but the pod won't open. Motors are shot! Damn!" Chris calmed him down. "We can fix this, stay calm! Sally, blow the hinges off the cryotube. How many shots are in the rifle?" "32, full count." "Fire."

The Princess pulled the trigger of the assault rifle and spat ten rounds at her side of the pod. Sparks flew from the bullet impacts and the joint splintered into smoking plastasteel. "Good, get this side too." The Captain said. Sally took care of that side too. "OK, now what?" she asked. "Lift the casing. I get the left, you get the right. Tails: front and center." "Yes sir."

Chris grabbed the left side of the hood of the pod. Sally grabbed the right, and Miles grabbed the front. "OK, _lift_!" With three grunts, they pulled the cover clear from the rest of the pod. They had to jar it left to right a few times but they accomplished the task. 'Chris…My arms are going to pop out of my sockets!" Tails said with veins visible on his neck and head. "Alright, down everyone!' The Captain said in a strained voice. They dropped the casing on the ground with a large _thump_ which vibrated through the ruined hull. The three ignored their pain to look inside the cryo chamber. Inside was a two meter tall warrior with green armor and an orange mirrored visor. "Jesus, this is him!" Chris said with a wide smile. "The Master Chief!" "Is he dead or alive?" Sally asked. "I don't know. I can't tell with the visor." Chris came closer to the green giant and said, "Master Chief Petty Officer, can you hear me? Move your head, groan, do anything." To his amazement, the helmet shifted an inch to the right. "_Brainwave patterns show he's coming to, guys_." NICOLE said.

Master Chief Petty Officer John 117 cracked his eyes open for the first time in days. He was in pain. Soldiers weren't meant to be put in cryo while still wearing armor but he persisted. All he could remember was the explosion at the Ark, the flash of light, then him getting into this cryo-chamber. Now here he was after an unknown time waking up from his sleep. Funny how Cortana didn't say something encouraging or even explain why he was woken up. Instead he saw three figures. They were dark against his vision so he activated his flashlights which caused the figures to jump back.

The bright lights flash blinded the Marines. "Christ!" Sally exclaimed as her corneas burned. "I think he's awake." Cortana turned a shade of pink. "Chief? Chief can you hear me? Say something!" The Master Chief groaned for a second. "C…Cortana?" "Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead! Time to wake up!" The chief lay still for a second and then leapt out of the tube. He grabbed Chris around the chest and thrust him into the wall. 'Who are you?!" He thundered. "Chief, no!" Cortana shouted.

The Captain could feel the pressure the Master Chief was putting on him. He was beginning to black out from air loss… "Stand down, Soldier!" he commanded. The Master Chief froze for a second and his helmet tilted towards his shoulder insignia. Then it looked back at his face. Chris was looking for a few seconds at a reflection of himself. Then the iron giant dropped him and saluted.

"Sir, please forgive my actions. If you had identified yourself sooner I wouldn't have acted so unjustly, sir." Chris rubbed his sore sides. "Don't worry Master Chief. I'm fine, at least for the moment." He looked at the Spartan and saw he was still saluting. "At ease." He finally said, and then the hand dropped. "Sir, permission to speak?" "Granted." "Where are we? Who are you? Who are they?" Chris placed his cap back on his head. "Long story short, you're in an alternate universe. I'm a UNSC Captain from the 33rd Century and these are my anthropomorphic associates." The Chief looked at Cortana. "33rd Century? How did this happen, Cortana?" "Unknown, Chief. Apparently when we tried to make the jump to Earth, the end half of the _Dawn _separated and went through a quantum temporal gateway which deposited us here." The Chief looked at the Mobians. "Anthropomorphic?" Tails nodded. "Yeah, stemming from the Greek words _ánthrōpos_ meaning 'human' and _morphē_ meaning 'form' or 'shape'. The term has been pretty general over the centuries but we are specifically anthropomorphic animals." The Chief said, "Oh I see. How did this happen? Are you two the only ones or...?" Sally spoke up. "No, actually we have an entire planet in a parallel universe populated with anthros and recently with baseline humans. Are you familiar with Doctor Matthew Mobius?"

"I am." Cortana said. "Doctor Matthew Mobius, born 2163 in Chicago, USA. It says he disappeared in 2190 while attempting to colonize the stars with a prototype warpgate." "He was the one who found our planet, Mobius in an alternate universe. I'll be happy to explain once we get out of here." Sally said. They could all hear sirens in the distance. "OK. Just let me get my gun…where is it?" Sally looked at the weapon sheepishly. "Oh was that yours? I just used it to free you." "Give me it." "You know, technically I outrank you because I'm a Princess." "Is that so?" "You bet it is, tin man. Shape up or ship out!" The Chief saluted but they were pretty sure he was mocking her. "As you wish, Princess Furry." Chris shook his head.

Sally bit her tongue in anger. "I really don't like that word." "Just stay out of my way _Furry_." That time the insult was intentional. Sally whispered, "Call me 'Furry' _one _more time." "Fu-" She tackled the half ton monster. Somehow she managed to get him onto the floor and he was so surprised, he didn't even fight back. Sally managed to find the seal for his helmet and rip it off. She landed blow after blow to the man's face until Chris and Tails were able to hold the squirrel back who was screaming expletives at the Spartan. "That was interesting." Cortana said. "Don't you _ever _mention this to anyone." The Chief's lip was bloody and a few bruises were forming around his eyes. "OK, you've made your point and you socked it to me. Can we leave now?" Chris calmed the Princess down. "One more thing: We need to raid this ship's armories and pick up as much ammo and guns as we can carry. I'm sick of blasters."

Ten minutes later, they were on their way back to the turbolift with ordinance in tow. "Hey Chief, are you man, or machine?" Tails asked. "Actually I'm both. Sort of. I was augmented with chemicals to help me accomplish any combat objective and even non-combat oriented. Non breakable bones, see in the dark eyes, the works." "Oh, I see. Just like our SPARTAN program. "_You have a SPARTAN program?_" Cortana said who was inside the Chief's helmet (Cortana was downloaded onto a data crystal and inserted into a layer in the Chief's armor). "Yeah, series X." "How far are we separated again?" Tails quickly said, "684 years." "I can't believe you would continue something like that for so long-"

A _snap-hiss_ was heard and a robed figure leaped over some debris. He was clothed entirely in black and held a ruby red lightsaber. "Who's this freak?" The Master Chief asked. "Dark Jedi!" Chris shouted. The figure landed right in front of them with its saber raised. The Marines drew their weapons. Miles activated his own saber. "I've found you." He said in a gravelly tone. "Excuse me?" Sally asked with her .357 trained on his chest. "Lord Malak sent many of us out to kill you. It was a mistake that you all managed to get away alive. We are not willing to make the same mistake again." With that, he swung his sword first at Sally who dodged it. The Sith reversed his strike at Chris but it was blocked by Tails. "Are you insane?" Chris asked the Dark Jedi. "You can't beat all four of us!" "You underestimate the power of the Dark Side!"

The Jedi flung Force energy out in all directions and blew Chris, Sally and Miles away about 15 feet. John however stood his ground and charged towards the Jedi who immediately shot him with lightning. The Spartan's shields took the brunt of the attack glowing blue as the lightning spread across the MJOLNIR's surface area. The Jedi swung a high blow but the Master Chief sidestepped it and grabbed the Jedi around the throat. "Your master just made a big mistake." He whispered. With that, the Spartan snapped the acolyte's neck and let the body fall face first into the dust." "_Excellently executed, Chief_." Cortana complimented. Chris got his bearings and stood up. He saw the body of the Dark Jedi just laying simply on the ground. "Damn! That was sort of anticlimatic!"

"_Any 'legends' you may have heard of the Chief were definetely exaggerated. He's just a soldier who dispatches somel enemies this way. No epic battles or anything like that._" "Your armor can deflect the Force?" Tails asked kicking the Sith in the head. "That lightning? Just dissipated in the electromagnetic current. That wave that blew you all away, just dead weight." "_I like him. Modest _and_ efficient_!" NICOLE said. Chris stepped forward. "Regardless. This guy sent us a message: Malak is out looking for us. I want to get off Coruscant because I'm not sure if this place is safe for us anymore." "_Agreed. I'll send word ahead._" NICOLE told them. "_Johnson, get the ship up and running. We'll be topside fifteen minutes max._" "_Roger that, ma'am. I'll get on to that now._" At that, the Chief activated his internal speakers to talk privately with Cortana.

"Something's going on here and I don't like it. You know what I'm talking about." "_Chief, he's _dead_. It can't be possible._" "It sounds possible to me. It sounded exactly like him. They never found his body though…" "_Chief, the odds are astronomical. I find it highly unlikely, damn near impossible that Johnson could still be alive. Perhaps though…_" "Explain." "_A 20__th__ Century writer named Micheal Moorcock wrote about fictional universes all connected with each other in some way. The theory was proposed that each universe held its own timeline and laws of physics. We never knew if they existed but, here we are…_" "Right. Here we are."

The lift scraped to a halt at the top of the shaft. The Marines stepped over the unconscious form of the Republic soldier they subdued not too long ago. "Did we miss something?" Chief asked in a humored tone. Chris scanned the intersection with his pistol's sights. "No. Some people were less than cooperative to let us into the Underlevels." "I see." The Spartan said. "Looks like they haven't discovered buddy here." The Captain said. "Why don't we just dump his body over the edge so they never find him?" "No, Master Chief! These people are allies, not enemies." The Spartan stared at the prone form. "Yes sir. Allies, not enemies."

The _Ebon Hawk_ was running hot. Reactor temperatures were well in the green zone ready to fly. All they needed was the missing passengers. Johnson drummed his fingers on the dashboard staring at the entrance of the landing pad. For about ten minutes he had been doing this waiting for the Captain and his squad. So far, no luck. Ryan sat right next to him making beats with his hands on his legs. "Hey Sarge, suppose we find the Chief. That won't help us find the Emerald faster, will it?" Avery took a drag on a cigar. "Well, that depends on whether Cortana's with him or not." "Cortana?" "His companion AI. She's probably one of the smartest I've ever met. NICOLE aside of course." "Oh right. Your vintage era." "Shut up." The Sergeant finished breathing out sweet fumes. Suddenly the door to the pad cycled open. The Captain led the pack with his two squadmates and a green armored giant. "God in heaven. It's him!" Avery said staring at the Chief. "Wow. He's smaller than in the textbooks."

The Chief scrutinized the ship. "This is your ride?" Chris smiled. "I'm afraid so. No cruisers for you, Master Chief. Just this small little freighter." "_Well, for a freighter she seems well put together. Looks like it's expensive._" "Ah it was a steal." Sally said also smiling. "_Uh…A steal? That's a literalism, I take it?_" "Are you always this assuming?" "_Well…yeah._" The ramp extended and the Captain ordered them all inside. "OK, we're in! No fancy stuff, Sergeant!" he shouted once inside. The _Ebon Hawk_ activated her main engines and sped towards the edge of the atmosphere. The Chief sat down on a crash chair that was in the main hold. He removed his helmet and breathed in the mettalic air. "_Well, there she goes._" Cortana said. The AI was monitering the wreckage of the _Dawn_ which was burning away beneath them. Cortana was sure to make whatever was left of the reactors to overload so that the hulk burned to the ground. No evidence, so to speak.

"How much longer until we break orbit?" Chris asked in the cockpit. "Ten minutes at our current speed. I may open up as soon as we clear the atmosphere and satellite clutter zone." "Okay. Just _try_ not to kill us, Sergeant." "Aye aye, sir." With that, he pushed the throttle to full. The _Ebon Hawk _ploughed through the atmosphere at high speed blowing straight past a pair of Hammerhead cruisers. Luckily, the two vessels didn't dare give chase to something so fast. Fifteen minutes later, they were far outside Coruscant's gravity well. 'Engaging autopilot. Waiting for your jump command sir." "Wait, where are we going?" Chris asked. Sally cleared her throat. "We've decoded the third piece of the map. Our best bet is probably to head there. Maybe Bianca found out the coordinates herself." Chris shrugged. "OK. You know best after all." The stars streaked in front of them and they were catapulted into Hyperspace.

"OK. We're good on that note. What's the planet we need to go to?" Sally tapped the navicomputer. "According to the data gathered, we're heading for a frozen ice planet known as Rhen Var. It's a planet located in the Tion Cluster. Um…it'll take about two weeks to reach with all the gravitational interference." "OK, steady as she goes." Sally smiled but continued to look at the navicomputer. "You're not doing a half bad job of commanding a starship." "I'm not perfect princess. I'm totally gonna screw this up. I never learned how to fly a ship." "You flew that Longsword two years back with Tails." "That was on autopilot most of the way. I just started the ignition sequence." Sally looked around. "Where _is_ Tails anyway?" Johnson answered, "In the cargo hold. He and Jolee are sparring."

There were heavy footfalls behind them, which could only suggest John. "Sir, permission to enter the bridge?" "Granted, Master Chief." "Sir, I never thanked you and your team for getting me out of there. I'm pretty sure that they would have taken me in for experimentation." "No thanks needed, Master Chief. I saw a soldier in need and I helped him out. That's all." "If you say so, sir. Now, I'd like to ask you a few-" The Spartan froze instantly. The Marines followed the supersoldier's mirrored gaze which was pointed directly at Johnson. In a flash, the sergeant was pinned against his own chair. "Stand down, Master Chief! NOW!" Chris commanded. The Captain saw that there was a Desert Eagle in the Spartan's hand. "Hey, where did you…" He looked at his holster and saw that it was empty. "Wow." He said amazed. He didn't even feel the gun being pulled away. Kind of frightening actually.

"This is starting to get on my nerves." The Chief breathed. Sally took out her MA5K and sighted it. The barrel trembled slightly since she was nervous. She cycled the bolt and made a loud _clack_. At once, everyone rushed to the bridge just in time to see John push the barrel of the Deagle deeper into Johnson's forehead. "Are you going to do this _every time _we get together now?" Avery asked sweating slightly. He didn't know what he did wrong this time. Existing? "You're supposed to be _dead_!" Chief roared. "I _SAW _YOU DIE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!" "_Chief, calm down! There should be a perfectly logical explanation for this!_" "Got suggestions Cortana? I'd love to hear 'em!" "Chief! Let me talk! I can explain everything!" Johnson cried out. Chris took the initiative and announced, "Master Chief. You will lower your weapon this instant or you will be placed under arrest."

The Master Chief took the gun away and looked around at the faces both Human and Mobian. "I…" he began. "Alright. Explain to me how you're still existing, Sergeant." "The fuck is he talking about?" Ryan asked. "Sergeant? Is there something you need to tell us?" Avery looked straight at Chris for a full ten seconds. He looked at Sally, then Bunnie, and so on before locking gaze with the Chief. "I…It's sort of a confession to all of you." He paused to choose his words. He took his cap off and the cigar out of his mouth. "Everyone, I'm not Sergeant Avery Johnson Junior. I'm a bioengineered recreation of him. I'm Johnson's clone."

There was silence for five seconds. Everyone looked around at everyone locking gazes and sharing silent thoughts. The silence was broken when Tails said out loud, "Ho. Lee. _Shit_."


	22. Chapter 21: Rhen Var

Chapter 22: Rhen Var

January 9th, 3238, 1144 hours

Hyperspace

Ebon Hawk

"I can't believe you lied to us." Chris said angrily not even looking at whom he thought was the sergeant. "I didn't feel comfortable talking about it! You have to understand I was under a lot of pressure! There were mercenaries and hunters on Thoris who would have shot me at any goddamned chance!" Chris stared out the cockpit window into Hyperspace. "It doesn't excuse the fact. You lied. Are you really 600 years old or was that a fabrication too? Huh?"

The Captain couldn't even think straight. All these long months he had known this man. Sally sadly leaned against the wall with her arms folded. "I mean, why wouldn't you even tell us sooner? That you're not Johnson?" At this, the sergeant twirled around in his chair. "Look, I know I may be a clone and all but I'm still Johnson at heart!" "_Ugh God, he's giving us the 'at heart' crap_." NICOLE said with a drawl in her voice. Cortana stood on a makeshift holotank they salvaged from the _Dawn_. "Look. If memory serves me correctly, he talked about how he had an explanation for this whole mess. I feel that maybe we should let him talk." "See, that's why I love Cortana. She _listens_." Chief stood silently for a few seconds leaving all of them to stare at him anticipating his next move. The Master Chief was well known for killing sentients that stood in his way in various fashions. This was barely any different then when he saw the _original_ Johnson after he destroyed the first Halo. Chief thought he was a Flood drone. According to these Marines though, the Flood had been eradicated for the past couple hundred years or so they told him…

"Alright Sergeant. Start talking and talk fast." Johnson clamped his mouth shut and nodded. "Alright. I'll tell the whole story as best I can. Better get the entire crew in here. I don't think they'd want to miss this."

684 years ago. It was just after the frigate _Gettysburg _returned to Earth. There was celebration that the Master Chief had returned. The Last Spartan. Also there was celebration for those small heroes that assured their safe return. Admiral Whitcomb, Lieutenant Haverson, Polaski, and Locklear, not to mention the Spartans that never made it home. But it wasn't the Spartans or Cortana that we're looking at, it was Sergeant Johnson.

Johnson, like his comrades, was also honored for his return. He was offered a chance for promotion by the admiralty but he turned it down resulting in an immediate psych exam. He came up clean however but he was to be awarded for the Colonial Cross for his deserving efforts on Halo. Just a day after his arrival on Earth, we was called to the MAC Station _Cairo _ODA-142. His shuttle docked within the station and he marched to the briefing room

Johnson waited for the door to cycle open before stepping in. "Sir, Sergeant Major Johnson reporting as ordered, sir!" The admiral turned around to look at him. Johnson knew much about Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood's actions and awards. He had met him in person a few times too. The admiral's aged face was shaped in a rough smile. "Sergeant, I'm glad you were able to make it home in one piece." "Thank you sir." Johnson said. "It's alright marine. At ease." Avery relaxed somewhat. "You…wanted to see me, sir." Hood nodded his head and turned to look outside the briefing room window. There were several ships crowing around the nearby stations _Malta_ and _Athens_, both named for the cities they were gyosynchronized over. Home Fleet was rallying quickly.

"Indeed I did, Sergeant. Cortana forwarded me a few papers on your medical status and encounter with the parasitic form of aliens you call the Flood." Johnson shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I…watched the recordings made by one deceased Private First Class Wallace A. Jenkins, KIA." Avery wordlessly nodded. "I don't think I'll get a good night's sleep ever again. That's beside the point. I wanted to talk to you about your medical history." "Yes, sir. Fire away." "In 2549 you served on the planet Paris IV, during the Siege of Paris IV, correct?" "Yes, sir." "You were diagnosed with a disease known as Boren's Syndrome, a medical condition that's triggered by exposure to high-yield plasma, such as…" "A crate of plasma grenades, sir. I used them all on the Covies. Got 1200 REM off it."

"I find that surprising." Hood said. "You were expected to die in about seven days. Nine tops yet you pulled through. You didn't even go to chemo." "Yes sir. I signed a Refusal of Treatment paper so I could get back into the fight." "Your patriotism is commendable sergeant. Though I had something in mind for you." Johnson shuddered. Would they dissect him to see what made him immune to the Flood? That's what he gathered from one of those data crystals he was given by Halsey before she took off. He knew the Chief wouldn't just kill him like that. Or would he…?

"Your DNA was screwed up beyond repair. Possibly enough to avoid Metabolic Cascade Failure." "What are you trying to say to me, sir?" Hood leaned in close to him. "How would you like to make the first _working_ flash clone?" Johnson was left to take in what he said. Typically Flash Clones of human beings was considered rough work. Embryos were forced to develop hundreds of times faster than naturally. A human clone would be made but it would suffer from a disease called Metabolic Cascade Failure, a genetic disorder that would cause the deterioration of a Flash Cloned human being. The clone would die in a month or two.

"Flash Cloning a human being is impossible, sir!" "That's not what Section 0 told me this morning when you arrived. It's a brand spankin' new concept that would blow you away. We've already tried the project on smaller animals such as mice or rats. We started cloning them three months ago and they're still alive and healthy. We can offer you medical compensation for taking part of this experiment and an annual salary increase by 18 per cent." Johnson whistled. That was a _big_ increase. "So, are you about to help us out, or are you about to throw away the most important human biological opportunity, possibly of all time? Take a minute to think about that."

Johnson _did_ take a minute to think about that. It was a big opportunity. The way the admiral spelled it out to him, he was the only human in the _galaxy_ that would be able to survive this process. He bit his tongue and then said, "You've got yourself a lab rat, admiral." Hood smiled and held out his hand. Johnson took it and they shook on it. "Welcome aboard, Sergeant. You will not be disappointed."

He was aboard some sort of top-secret medical ship somewhere near Mars. Avery could see the red planet out in the distance through a sea of asteroids. The ship they were on was made out of a hollowed-out asteroid about 500 yards in diameter, one of the larger rocks. Here, nobody would guess it was anything but a floating rock in space. A doctor wearing a facemask took a syringe and plunged the needle into Avery's arm. "We just need to take a sample of your blood to get your very special DNA." Avery rolled his eyes. The doctor was talking to him as if he were a child! "Whatever, doc. Just make it quick. I have an appointment back on Earth." "Right, right, the medal ceremony." He pulled the plunger up. Inside the syringe, red fluid filled up the interior. "There we are. You're free to go. We'll contact you when the process is complete." "Sure thing. How long will this take?" "Best guess? Three weeks tops." "Wow. That's fast." "Tell me about it. Oh before I forget, anything that went on here is top secret. NavSpecWar doesn't want you to say anything and we _will_ know if you do." Avery nodded and picked up his hat.

It was only a day later when the medical ship received a ping from Io that 15 Covenant ships were on the way to Earth. All nonessential systems were shut down and it was essentially a floating rock again. Luckily, the Covenant didn't seem to notice this and move on to their objective. The commander of the facility doubted that they would have even bothered dealing with them. Work continued on Avery's clone. It took a while. Genetic code was read and strung out across computer screens at incredible rates. Slowly, a human being started to take form in the tanks. Then a distress call sounded from Earth. It appeared that the Covenant had invaded the South African city of New Mombasa and jumped away while _inside_ the atmosphere.

Work almost went silently while the battle raged on at Earth. Communications was impossible with all the fire going on there. All that could be done was work on the clone. Work on this scientific discovery. It was going better than great. Readouts showed that the clone had reached full adulthood and was functioning at 100% efficiency. But there was _something_ wrong with him.

There was a sort of cancer that was forming in his lower cerebral cortex. It was spreading far too fast to contain with a simple surgery. Cascade failures were show to have spread across his brain. So, without any choice, they placed the clone inside a cryotube and launched him out into space, a sort of a coffin if you will. The truth was that a competitor in the Flash Cloning industry had sabotaged the machinery to show that Johnson's clone was on his was out. The saboteur was an employee of a company called Doran Enterprises.

The clone's frozen body drifted away through space away from the solar system. It was already traveling 99 percent the speed of light in its cryotube. After a very long time of drifting unconsciously through space, the pod encountered a planet called Thoris far removed from the galaxy. It was a war-torn world in which was frozen over many times. Raiders scoured the surface picking scraps away from ancient ruins that possibly held a Forerunner civilization eons ago. A fireball ploughed from the snowy skies and embedded itself in the ice and rock. For many years the pod remained there in a deep freeze. In 3232, the pod's systems malfunctioned and caused the occupant to wake up. It was quite a curious first day of life for Avery Johnson's clone. He had all the memories of his Original prior to his creation on the station. Thus being said, he knew what he was the moment he awakened.

Putting aside his newfound knowledge, Johnson made it his first objective to survive on this frozen rock. Thankfully, he found weapons near-by and used them to hunt for food. He eventually found a cave that was heated by geothermal energy and made it his home. Two years later, the Captain found him while they were looking for an emerald. He said he was Sergeant Johnson and here they were…

"Wow. That's quite a story." Chris said leaning back in his chair. "You're not _really_ Avery Johnson but you know everything about him. I assume the _real_ Johnson is long dead?" The Chief nodded. "Yes. He was killed on the Ark." "I'm sorry." Sally said sadly. "It doesn't matter." The Sergeant said. "One thing I can't get: why did you keep lying to us over the years then?" Miles asked. "Well, I wanted to feel important. I _am_ Johnson's flesh and bone, you know." Chris shrugged. "I guess I can accept that. I will accept you as Johnson but I still find it dishonorable to lie about something like that." He addressed the rest of the crew now.

"Also, I want to point out if anyone has _anything_ to say, I want absolutely NO lies about it and I want it told first. Is that clear?" "Sir, yes sir!" The all said. "Good. Dismissed, Marines."

Avery sat back down in his chair and began to half-heartedly monitor the transition speeds again. The displays started to flash red showing them that their trip was coming close to an end. "Heads up everyone! We're exiting Hyperspace in 5, 4, 3, 2…"

The _Ebon Hawk_ exited from the hyperspeed tunnel in a flash of light. Ahead of them was a planet that seemed completely covered in ice pole to pole. There were no oceans visible but bright blue patches of ice. The distant sun of the Duboli system was behind them spraying white light. 'Is that our target?" The Captain asked. "Confirmed." Cortana chimed. "Planet has been identified as Rhen Var. Population isn't very large." "_If I read the Galactic Database correctly, the only people who would _dare_ live here are scientists and raiders. There's also plenty of room for Dark Jedi…_" "I agree with NICOLE." Cortana said nodding her head. "This Dark Malak you've told us about doesn't sound like one to screw around." Chris nodded. "Duly noted. Alright, bring her down."

Johnson nodded and plunged the ship into an arc towards the ground. The _Ebon Hawk_ punched through the atmosphere and in no time at all they were in the middle of a snowstorm. "COMs will be damn near impossible in this weather." Johnson growled. "Tails, meteorological report, _pronto_." The fox nodded. "You got it." He did a scan by bouncing a signal off the planet's moon. In seconds he had a rough weather report.

"Chris, this is a major snowstorm. I'm estimating the cloud is about (shit!) 1400 miles long at its largest point! Estimated 5-10 inches by tomorrow morning. It'll be about a week before the storm passes." The Captain bit his lower lip. He didn't like that at all. If a team went out and got lost, they wouldn't be able to send a signal through the storm. Also, it was possible that they would die of hypothermia before they died of hunger. "We have to try and wait it out." "I disagree, sir." The Master Chief said firmly. "Alright, explain your opinion, Chief."

"Sir, I've done a quick threat evaluation. Malak seems to be quite threatening enough if we've intercepted the correct communications. It's _imperative_ that we get to the _Phoenix _ASAP." "Regardless, Master Chief. I want what's on this planet. She might already be here unable to contact us through the storm. You seem so keen to get back home; you're in charge of the expedition team that's going to find the map."

"Sir!" The Chief started to protest. Vennettilli half-expected the Spartan to rip him in half there and then. "Yes sir. I'll be ready to move out any time." "I'm willing to switch it up this time around. Some of you runts have been able to relax in this ship while I and a few others have been busting our asses. I will randomly select three of you to go out with the Master Chief who is your direct superior after me Johnson and Sally." The crew held their breaths as Chris made his selection. Even the Master Chief held his breath. He didn't want to be stuck with inexperienced soldiers on this op. He needed to get back to Earth. _Everything's changed now…_

"Private First Class Rabbot! You're on deck." Bunnie jumped to her feet and saluted. "Yes, _sir_, shugah!" "Rouge, get your snowshoes on, you're next." The ONI operative kissed Ryan on the cheek and got up. "Now I feel real bad about sending the Chief off with two anthros so I'm sending Johnson along."

Avery did a double take. "_Excuse me_?" "What? I'll give you some bonding time with MC here." "Who's going to fly the ship?" Sally raised her hand. "I will. I've had plenty of practice flying the _Ebon Hawk_. It'll be easy." "And with that, let's move people. Double time!"

The _Ebon Hawk_ evened out her descent. There appeared to be a castle of some sort situated in the cliffs. It seemed a good place to search but there was no guarantee. "This is not going to be easy, guys." Tails said. "We have _no_ idea where the map could possibly be! We have no leads to act on or anything!"

"I have a suggestion." Cortana said. "We simply have to scan for a similar power output in the area. We scan the map piece you have aboard, record the wavelengths of power…" "…and we play it out there and see if we find a connection!" Tails finished. "Precisely!" "Sounds good. Put this baby down and we'll start the scan." Chris said tapping the dashboard.

The freighter halted in midair and slowly let up on the engines. A few seconds later, she was safely nestled in the snow and ice. Snowflakes fell on the ship with remarkable frequency. Gentle pings were heard on the windows as the hardened moisture impacted. Johnson turned on the windshield wipers which swept away the snow. "It'll hold for now. I can't say that taking off won't be easy again. The struts could freeze into the ice soon." The Captain nodded. "Keep the reactor running at minimal power, but make sure we have enough juice to get off the ground again." "Yes sir. I trust it my replacement can watch over things?" Sally cracked her knuckles and picked up a UNSC cap. She pulled it over her head and nestled it between her pointed ears. "Relax, Sarge. Go on and make your snow angles. I got this." Johnson picked up a few cigars from the dashboard. "I'm gonna need a stiff drink after this." The Marine Captain nodded. "I think we might all need a drink after this. Now haul your ass, Sergeant."

They suited up with heated armor. It wasn't much but it would keep them from becoming Human (and Mobian) popsicles. Pads from the combat armor were removed and placed over the heated layers and simple armored skin. The Marines zipped them up to their chins. Each one of them wore their T-Shirts, cargo pants and undergarments beneath that creating a powerful resistance to the cold. They hoped it would hold. They slipped helmets over their heads. Johnson sealed his so they could only see their mirrored reflection. Bunnie and Rouge put theirs on with a little unease. Mobian skulls were not designed for Human Marine helmets but supply was low. They fit but it was uncomfortable. Bunnie tied her ears behind her neck like a ponytail to avoid wearing a more flexible, and vulnerable headpiece. The Mobians also slid their visors down until they were all hidden. The only way to tell them apart was that Bunnie had a robotic arm cannon, Rouge had the matte black pistol, and Johnson had the chevrons. "OK, we ready to go? Where's the Chief?"

The Master Chief was just finishing up his work. He was just inserting Cortana into the back of his helmet when he heard his rank being called out. He marched through the cargo bay towards the ramp. "Someone call me?" He asked. "Yeah, we're ready to leave. You good?" Johnson asked. The Chief grabbed an assault rifle and racked the bolt. "Let's go." He said hitting the door release panel. At once the ramp extended and a small blizzard formed in that compartment. Tails was just behind them and was caught by the gust of wind. His jacket was caught by the sudden vortex of wind. He wrapped his arms around himself and chattered. "R…remember, its neg 30 out there! This is _summer_ weather for Christ's sake! Get that map and come back. I'll send a signal on repeat to see if we can break through the storm!" The Chief locked gaze with the young fox. "Will do." He said as the ramp closed.

"Jesus Christ! It's freezing out here, y'all!" Bunnie said. "How long until the coils kick in, Sarge?" she asked. "Five minutes." Avery said as if nothing was wrong. "Right. Which way to the mountain?" Rouge asked looking around. "_Approximately five kilometers North, North West._" "Thanks Cortana." "_You're welcome, Sergeant._" At this, Chief opened a private channel.

"You're really willing to accept him this quickly? After what's happened? He might not even be an ally!" "_I trust him Chief. I _know_ he's on our side here. The question is, are you?_" _Damn_ the Chief thought. Now he was the bad guy. He hated it when Cortana pulled those sorts of tricks on him. "No, I trust you I guess. I just want to make sure nothing happens to these guys." "_Alright, whatever you say_."

About fifteen minutes out, there was no sign of the _Ebon Hawk_ behind them. "Damn, we're really lost aren't we?" Rouge asked. "Great, now we're gonna have to get directions now aren't we?" Bunnie jokingly said wiping a large clump of snow off her faceplate. "I mean look at this place! It's a fucking WASTELAND! FROZEN H2O, Y'ALL!" she swept her arms around to gesture to the plains around her. It was Hollywood quality dramatics. "_Language hasn't changed much has it_?" "Excuse me?" Johnson said. "_What I said was the English Language really hasn't changed much. I mean throughout time, English has gone through radical changes in context and gramer structure. What made you say, 'Play it as it lies' so to speak_?" "You should really be asking Tails or Sally that question, Cortana." Bunnie said digging her boot from the snow. "I mean, I know nothing about language progression but I can tell you that it always felt perfect to me and everyone else. We still speak in French, Spanish, Swahili, etcetera, etcetera. Humans on the other hand speak in English like we are now shugah, and in different dialects off planet too. For instance, a planet called Constance has a different dialect that's derived from English and German if you can grab that. You'd ask Rouge about that." "Huh? Oh yeah. Ryan taught me all sorts of Constantine dialect phrases. For example, 'Hello how are you' can be translated as "_Hallow, dow ist yu_?" and 'Thank you for the wonderful evening would be "_Danke yu fur dist eve wondurfalle_." They speak English there too though. What's up? Culturing yourself?" "_Just adjusting to being in the future…sort of…_" "I get you. I mean we were separated for a _thousand years_, more from humanity! We had so much to learn, so much to pick up on! It was dizzying." "_Well, that does sound like my endeavor_."

A few minutes from then, the tallest of the ancient spires were starting to become visible in the snowy daylight. "I think I see it." Rouge said pointing to the ruins. "There." "I see it. I would assume there's a staircase of some sort." Johnson said jogging ahead looking for a passage in the cliffs. Soon they found one: a long spiraling stairway that seemed to be-if they weren't mistaken-a passage from some docks. "_Looks like this planet had water a long time ago. It must have frozen up somehow. Planetary collision?_" "Don't know, don't care. I'm just here to find that map. I'm freezing my ass off here." Rouge complained. "Master Chief, scout ahead." Johnson growled. "Make sure we aren't heading into a trap or anything like that." "Got it." He unlimbered his assault rifle and stalked ahead of them. He barely even made a sound within his half-ton of armor as he moved up the stairway. It was surreal watching this man work. How many men had he killed without them even knowing until it's too late?

The Chief entered the first building that was open to them. It appeared to be a hallway or atrium of some sort. He turned on his flashlight and scanned from side to side. "_Chief, area secured. If I'm reading this correctly, your heart rate was 55 beats a minute. You're getting nervous!_" "I don't want to run into any of those Dark Jedi. The MJOLNIR's shields might be able to hold for a second but they can cleave through me easily." "_Relax Chief. I have this entire area covered with your passive sensors. FOF tags show all green behind us. Nothing red._" "Take into mind that these guys have no computers on them, just a laser sword and their robes." "_I haven't thought of that_." Cortana admitted.

"_Area secured, move up_." The Master Chief said over the COM systems. "Copy that, sir. Move it, ladies!" Johnson shouted over the wind. The two anthros nodded and started inside. "Keep your weapons ready." Chief whispered. "I don't know if we were expected." Bunnie nodded and transformed her arm into cannon mode. She inserted a clip into the receptacle and charged it. Plasma would easily dissipate in this weather. Johnson took a breath and peered around the corner. "We're good for now. Chief, take point. Rouge, Bunnie. On me." "Yes, sir." The rabbit said. The bat simply nodded.

"Checking in, Cap. Can you read us?" White noise. "Shit! Storm must still up. Leave the channels open just in case." "Gotcha, Sarge." Rouge said nodding. "_We are now about 600 feet into the mountain. If I didn't know any better I'd say that there's Forerunner existence here. At least that's my guess_." Cortana said. "We already established that the Forerunners had influence here." Johnson said. "Private Rouge here already recorded the information so we can show it to ONI back on Earth." "_ONI's still around? Wow_." Bunnie saw something out of the corner of her eye: A frozen corpse. "Hang on, y'all. Got something here." She stepped cautiously towards it and shined a flashlight. It was covered with a light layer of ice, preserving it. "Any guesses?" Rouge asked looking over her shoulder. "I don't know. Looks like a Sith trooper." Johnson's eyes shifted from corner to corner. "I don't like this place. It's a tomb isn't it?" "_Yes, sergeant. According to the Galactic Database, Rhen Var has many tombs on it holding the bodies of both heroes and villains of the Great Sith War forty years ago. Is there a symbolic gesture hidden in there_?" "Yeah, we could be the next tenants." The girls shivered. It had nothing to do with the cold. The Spartan however stood quite still in his MJOLNIR armor. "Come on, we need to find that map." He urged.

Thanks to this new found information, the tiny fire team now slowed their advance checking every corner for traces of the Sith. "I think you're acting a little paranoid now." Rouge remarked. "_Private, paranoid is a hell of a lot better than _dead." She shut up. At last they came up to a large burial chamber. All around them were burning torches. "_How long do you think those have been burning for? Look at these murals and inscriptions! This could very well be this individual's life story!_" "Yeah, yeah. Where's the map?" Rouge asked hastily. "_Sheesh, you have no sense of historic value_." "I only care about monetary value. Let's get this over with please." "_Are you a pirate?_" "Treasure hunter/government agent." "_Interesting. What about you, Rabbot?_" "I'm just Bunnie Rabbot, mild mannered supporting character!" she joked.

The map was literally right in front of them. The cube was resting on the altar just before the sarcophagus. It was covered in a thick layer of ice and most of the carvings that they saw on the Manaan cube were weathered away. "It may be a trap." Rouge said, her Thieve Sense buzzing. "_I'm not detecting anything_." Johnson reached forward and got a good grip on the map. As soon as he pulled it away from the stone altar, they heard noise, which sounded like rushing wind. "Drop your weapons now." A raspy voice said. "What the-" Bunnie began but then a _snap-hiss_ came from what the dark figure was holding. Another ruby red saber was perched in his hands. His companion ignited his sword as well and they both pointed them in their general direction. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here. It appears that we have uninvited guests. Remove your helmets now." He said to all of them. The Marines looked at each other and worked off the seals. "Look at this, brother! It appears that these are some of the fugitives Lord Malak is looking for!" "_Dark Jedi_?" Cortana whispered over the COM. "Yeah." Avery whispered back. Rouge shook visibly on the spot. _Holy fuck I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!_ She though frantically in her head. "You've been causing us too much trouble, you have." The taller of the two said. "When you dispatched our companion Grek on Coruscant we knew we underestimated you didn't we, brother?" "Indeed we did." The shorter one said. They both took the chance to smile mischievously. "We won't make that same mistake."

At those words, a battalion of Sith Troopers, literally a _battalion_ of Sith emerged from the woodwork, most shivered in out of thin air, obviously wearing stealth field generators. "As soon as you landed we knew that you walked right into our little trap. You didn't even know it." Bunnie's eyes darted from side to side. "What trap?" She asked. The shorter Sith looked to the taller. "Can we tell them, brother? We're going to kill them anyway." "No. Perhaps we should let Admiral Karath tell them." Rouge gulped. Evidently she didn't have as much courage as the others did. The taller brother pulled a comlink out of his robes and activated it. "Admiral Karath, sir?" "_Did you find them_?" "Yes Admiral. They are right in front of us." "_Wonderful. I want to see them_." "Yes, Admiral. I will do as you command."

The Jedi took out a holographic pedestal in which he activated. It flickered for a second and activated. A 3D image of Saul Karath flickered to life. "_Well, well, well. It's been quite some time C-_" Saul froze. His eyes were locked on the small group. He was not pleased. _"Where are the others?_" the two brothers looked at each other. "Admiral?" "_Where are the other members?! I specifically remember seven Earthlings and you bring me _four!!_ I don't even remember this one! Do you have any idea how_-" Saul looked to someone off-screen. He smiled at the Jedi in a deadly way. "_Lord Malak is not pleased_."

The two Sith Jedi were confused until they saw the robed appearance of Darth Malak step into sensor range. At once, they dropped to their knees. "My Lord." They said in unison. The Dark Lord stared at them with steel cold eyes. "_You have failed me_." He said, his artificial voice resonating in the tomb's expanse. "_I ask of you a simple task and you can't even complete it_." "But My Lord!" The taller Dark Jedi said. "We have not failed you _completely_! We have captured some of them-" "_THAT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!_" They flinched and lowered their heads both in respect and in humiliation. A dozen or so of the Sith Troopers tittered among themselves over what the two ashamed Sith would have to go through.

Cortana kept monitoring the metrological status of the stratosphere. The storm seemed to be clearing! Well, there was technically a break in the clouds, about fifty miles at the widest. It was still clear enough to bounce off the moon. "_Chief, we have a window_." She said privately inside his helmet. "Do it. I have to make a plan."

The Dark Jedi stared into the ancient cobblestones. Their Master hadn't ordered them to be killed. Not yet anyway. From his silence they assumed him to be thinking. A single drop of sweat dropped from the nose of the elder brother. It hit the ground and froze nearly instantly. "_You will breath again today. Do not expect me to forget what you have done._ _You will receive your punishment as soon as you return._" "The prisoners, Lord Malak?" "_Kill them_." He said and fizzed away.

Chris snored loudly in the cockpit. He fell asleep with his cap angled over his head and the lights turned down low. The windshield polarized to that not as much light got inside. Sally was also sleeping in the copilot seat. She wasn't snoring and was curled up in a tight furry ball. Tails on the other hand was wide awake monitoring the storm. According to the signals he was receiving, there was a break forming in the clouds! He boosted the transmission strength and was about to begin broadcasting when a voice hastily came through the speakers. "_Mayday, mayday! This is AI Cortana CTN-0452-9 calling the _Ebon Hawk_, over! Please respond!_" Miles fumbled with the return button. "I read you Cortana! What's going on?! Did you find the map?" "_Affirmative! We've been ambushed by two Dark Jedi and a whole lot of Sith Troopers! We need extraction, NOW!_" "Copy that, Cortana! I'll have the _Ebon Hawk _en route as soon as I can!" "_Hurry Prower! Please! Out._"

"_Wake up, Chris!_" Tails yelled. The Captain yelped and pulled out his pistol. "What! What! What's going on?" "The guys have been ambushed at the tomb! They need evac, _pronto_!" Chris shook his head to wake himself off and slapped his cheeks. "Sally! Up! I need you to fly this bird!" The Princess was up equally fast. "Budge, human. I've got this!" Chris vacated the pilot's chair and slipped into the copilot. "Tails, tell the guys we're going up!" the fox saluted and turned tail, running back to the main hold. "Punch it, princess!" the Captain ordered. Sally activated the belly jets. They got some juice but the struts refused to give from the ice. "Come on, baby!" Sally said. She slammed down the throttle and the _Hawk_ rocketed forward with a jarring acceleration. The landing gear tore away from the ice with a _crack_. "There we go!" Sally said twisting her cap behind her head. "Chris, activate the chin turrets. I've got a feeling we'll need to give the guys a hand." "Aye, princess. Chin turrets responding." "_Uh just to let you know guys, a chin gun is on a Pelican, not a ship of this universe. I believe they're called_-" "SHUT UP!" Sally shouted. "_Well, I can pinpoint the location of the signal. Transmitting to the HUD…now_." At once, a blue triangle snapped to life with the distance hovering over it. "I see it. Hold on!"

The _Hawk _accelerated way past the speed of sound crossing the distances the guys had traversed earlier with ease. "Problem, princess." "Tell me." She groaned. "I can't find a stable place to land. I am finding some heat signatures at this location. A shit load of 'em too." "Make a hole." Chris smiled. "I _love_ it when you're in control!"

"So, which one of you gets to die first?" The Dark Jedi asked waving his lightsaber around. Burnt ozone filled the air creating the strong, almost repulsive smell. "Will it be you?" the tall one asked Sergeant Johnson. "You, my sweet little thing?" he asked Bunnie who frowned powerfully and wiggled her nose angrily. He turned to the Chief but as soon as their eyes met he kept on turning. "Ah… There is fear within you." He said to Rouge. She didn't want to die. She was afraid to die. She was afraid of the pain and what may come after… "Relax; this will all be over soon." He said bringing his sword back. Rouge screeched in fear. Then, the roof blew up.

"It's the _Ebon Hawk_!" Bunnie shouted with a wide smile on her face. The Dark Jedi looked at it. "To arms men!" the shorter one shouted. "Destroy that ship! We'll take care of the prisoners!" Just after he finished, the Chief sprang forward and grabbed the Dark Jedi. The Sith was so surprised he didn't squirm for a second. He lifted the black-robed figure over his head and tossed him at a marble pillar. The impact was comparable to a pile driver striking a pipe into the ground. The pillar cracked and the man slid down, dead upon impact. "GO! I've got these guys!" the Spartan shouted. He quickly placed the helmet on his head and sealed it. "_Let's rock this guy, Chief!_" Cortana crowed. "_Your left_." She helpfully said. The Master Chief grabbed the man's wrist and snapped it at a ninety degree angle. The Jedi screamed in pair s white bone poked through his robes. "_You killed my brother!_" He screamed in both agony in rage. "You're next." The Chief deftly said. The Spartan landed a blow in the man's stomach that lifted him a full foot off the ground. He didn't give him any time to double over as he grabbed the lightsaber almost as soon as he dropped it and sliced him in half at the stomach. Both halves of the man fell to the ground smoking where the blade cleaved him. "_Very nice_." Cortana said. The Chief balanced the sword in his hand. "The blade feels weightless. The only mass is in the hilt." He noted. "_It must be pure energy! Hold on to that for me!_"

Bunnie fired a burst at a menacing Sith Trooper. Bullets peppered his body and he fell in a bloody heap. "Keep fire! We need to get to a safe area!" Johnson bellowed. Rouge fearlessly shot a trooper in the head causing the wall to be spattered with blood. "Better keep it up, shugah or you'll _never_ beat my record!" Bunnie joked. It sort of lightened up the guys. Explosions dotted the temple floor. They were tossing _grenades_ from the orbiting ship! It seemed to be doing a good job too. Ropes fell from the sky and three armor clad figures slid down. It was the boys!

Chris led the bunch. He touched down and fired his assault rifle. The Sith Troopers fired but they couldn't seem to hit them. "These boys couldn't hit the broadside of a cruiser!" Chris joked. The second man was Ryan who was wielding a heavy blaster cannon. Everywhere he shot, enemy troopers died. Jolee Bindo blasted scores of enemy soldiers away with solid blasts of the Force. "Find a place to land! As close as you can!" "_Roger. Good luck down there, boys!_" "We won't need it toots." "_Come back alive, Chris._" The _Ebon Hawk _flew away.

The master Chief literally leapt right over them taking down soldiers wherever he saw. Silver armored bodies were cart wheeling in the air as supersoldier dusted them. The mere mortals brought up the rear. They were making progress. The Sith were moving back. Without the Jedi to rally them, they were easy targets for the Marines. It was pathetic how a battalion of trained soldiers could stand against seven trained Marines. "They're retreating!" Ryan shouted. It was true! The Sith were turning and running. They couldn't stand against the superiorly trained UNSC Marines. They cheered as the last of them disappeared from view. "_No point chasing after them. They're already in the air by now. Karath isn't going to be too pleased._" "You guys alright?" Chris asked. "Yeah." Johnson reported. "We were ambushed but we took care of it." "Great. And the map?" "Right here." "We'll want Sally here for that. Good work, Sergeant. We're just one step away from going home. What the hell?" "What?" They all asked. Chris pointed to a shape standing in front of a bright window with snow falling dramatically behind him. "Is that…who I think it is?" Rouge asked. "_Who are we talking about here_?" They all recognized the quills, but _was_ it…? "'Sup everyone? Did you start the party without me?" _No, it isn't!_ He got closer. The look was unmistakable! The quills, the green eyes, the dyed blue fur! "Holy Fuck! It's SONIC!!!"


	23. Chapter 22: Brethren

Chapter 22: Brethren

January 9th 3238

Rhen Var

Ancient Tomb

The Captain cleared his eyes with his hands just to make sure what he was seeing wasn't a trick of the light. _Holy shit! I can't believe it!_ Sonic was here! The last time the human saw the hedgehog was aboard the _Indomitable _just before they boarded the _Phoenix_. That was about three years ago! How did he find them? Regardless, if Sonic was here, chances were that there was an entire fleet in orbit waiting for them. They were going home! He stepped forward with his rifle raised slightly. "S…Sonic?!" He asked. His voice echoed in the empty tomb with only the hissing wind to back him up.

"Who's he?" Chief asked in a private COM channel. "_Scanning. I'll need to slice into some datapads for some information. Technically I'm breaching the UN Protection of Private Information Act of 2210 but I'm sure they won't mind now that we're in an alternate universe. Got it. Sonic the Hedgehog: Age 23 now. He was a celebrated hero on his home planet of Mobius who constantly defeated Dr. Ivo Robotnik who was trying to instill a monopoly on the planet and it's environment. Valued for his supersonic speed. His real name is __Olgilvie Maurice ____Hedgehog.__" "That sounds slightly embarrassing." "____Indeed, Chief. Kid doesn't like to talk about it much__." _

_"Sonic…?" Chris asked again shouldering the gun. The others uncertainly raised theirs as well. Just then, Sonic spoke, "Hey, put those down! Do I look like egghead?" The guys exhaled and flicked on their safeties. The Captain hooked the rifle over his back. "It's really you!" Tails shouted from the back. He ran up to hug the hedgehog. "Little bro! It's been a while! How old are you now?" "16, Sonic!" Tails said happily. "Jesus! Hey everyone!" he said warmly. Everyone greeted Sonic and then Chris stepped forward. "Sonic. The Fleet…are they in orbit?" Sonic's eyes fluttered for a second. He blinked and looked as though he was at a loss for words. "The Fleet? Oh…yeah! Yeah, of course they're in orbit! I mean, how do you think I got here?" The Captain nodded his head. "Right." "So, what's everyone been doing so far?" Rouge said, "We've been looking for something called the Blood Emerald. We needed to find maps to find them, something like these." Johnson lifted the map cube into the open in front of Sonic. He drew a camera-like device and snapped a photo, a green light blinked in the top of the device. "What was that?" "I was sending data to the Fleet." "OK, better they know what's going on. Sally should be here shortly." At this, Sonic just was all charm. It made Chris sick watching him feel this way. Of course it would. ____He __was the one who was with her. Sonic wouldn't know that though…_

_"Sally's here?" he asked with high hopes. "Yeah, she's landing the ship just outside. She'll be here shortly." The Master Chief responded. "I'll wait then." He said leaning against the wall. That was a surprise. Sonic was known for many things. Patience wasn't one of them._

_It should come as no surprise that this was not the real Sonic. The Fleet was nowhere nearby. The UNSC was nowhere in the galaxy save for the elusive ____Phoenix__. This was of course, the clone Sonic. He had taken a picture of the map cube which also took an electroscopic and x-ray scan searching the cube for anything abnormal or left out. So far, all clean. Only the outer layer and what looked like a hologram projector. He sent that off to the others when the light flashed green. _

_The other clones received the message almost near instantly. Their ship had already touched down and were running dark, allowing them to stay hidden. The reason he could have sent the message was because Eggman placed a special communicator that filtered any and all frequencies to get through any interference. _

_It was Chris' clone who picked up the message. He tapped the message file and scanned the picture. "Looks pretty solid. That's our target." Ryans clone flexed his arms. "What about the Originals?" "Eggman already marked them to be killed. Get them first then the block." He turned to the Princess' clone. "Ready for a small hike? You need to get there first. Eliminate your Original if you can on the way." The clone nodded and placed a UNSC cap on her head, tucking in her bangs just the way the real Sally did. "I got this licked. Just before I go I have something to say." Every clone looked at her. "What?" "Chris told me that I looked much prettier than the Original. I figured that since I was prettier, why should I be fully the same?" She lifted up her sleeves to that they could see that she painted her arms with fur dye. Swirling patterns crossed her arms and even from here, Chris' clone could see some highlights in her hair. "I am no longer her." "Then who are you?" Knuckles asked. "I've decided to call myself Alicia. Just Alicia." She opened the hatch and allowed the cold air to blow in. "Keep in contact and get the engines ready to fire. I have a bad feeling about this." The hatch closed behind her and she left the others to recover from the cold. Tails' clone shrugged. "Alicia. Has a nice ring to it." "Have you decided on a name yet?" Chris asked. "No, I just like being the clone of the Original." Ryan leaned back on his chair. "Seriously, you don't want anything more?" "Look, you asses, we have a job to do! We'll talk about it later." "Jeez! Sorry!" Chris' clone said as he fired up the engines. _

_Alicia watched the ship arc overhead and scream into the atmosphere. She lifted the scarf over her nose to protect her. Also, she hooked some goggles over her eyes. The pain from the flecks of snow vanished immediately. The tomb was straight ahead less than a kilometer away. Even better, there was a ship not too far from where she was. The profile was unfamiliar to her but the figure jogging across the snowy landscape looked vaguely similar to her. ____Bingo.__ It was the Original. _

_Sally trudged through the snow. She was wearing her combat uniform although with some furs jury-rigged over it. She wasn't much for furs but this was a matter of life and death and she didn't want to die on an iceball. Her vest was done up to her chin and all the buttons were snapped closed. She checked her watch/thermometer: 14 Fahrenheit, wind chill factor: 2 degrees. Frickin' freezing. "NICOLE, how's the storm coming?" "____Still hell. I'm anticipating five inches in an hour. Better get moving.__" "Easier said than done! You try wallowing through this!" "____You know I'd love to, Sal but I have no coherent form.__" "You suck at comebacks, you know that?" Silence. "Look, I didn't mean it, NICOLE." _

_"____No, not that. I've got a ping from __somewhere." "____Somewhere__? You mean you don't know? Is it one of ours?" "____Negative. I've run through the UNSC E-Band and the MAF Red-Freq. Both are coming up with blanks.__" "Republic?" "____Another miss. I don't like the looks of this. Better high-tail it to the guys' position. Come on, Organic! Move!__" Sally strained her legs to carry her faster. The nine-pound assault rifle and six-pound Python strapped to her back and leg wasn't helping her out at all. She was a strong Mobian though. She could carry the combined weight of the two weapons and armor and still have breath to spare. It was her weekly yoga and Tai-chi that helped her out with this, as well as 50 pushups, crunches, leg-raises, and a bi-weekly Pilate session with herself. Standard UNSC Marine training schedule. One look at her biceps and triceps could raise even a bodybuilder's eyebrows. _

_That wasn't important here though. It was hypothermia that was the problem. The cold attacked any exposed fur. The extreme weather found its way to her skin and bit hard on her epidermis. Her eyes were uncovered though so she had to hold her arm ahead of her to block the needle-like snow. At long last, she arrived at the stairway. "About time. I was sick of that." She muttered to NICOLE. _

_The Princess unlimbered her assault rifle and cocked the bolt. "____Stay alert, Sally. Whoever was spying on us may be here__." "Roger." She whispered. Acorn poked her gun around the corner and determined it was clear. The Mobian did a SWAT corner turn with such fluidness. "____Damn showoff__." "You're just jealous." She said with a smile tugging at her lips. _

_They were getting close. "____Sally, I've determined a quicker path to the guys. There's an exposed stairway that crawls along the side of the spire. That takes us right up to the hall.__" "I said I was ____sick__ of the snow!" "____Relax. My best guess is that you'll be there in about five minutes. Seven tops.__" "You're the boss." Sally said exhaling. "____Would you trust me you worry wart? This is that safest way—something's wrong…__" "What?" She asked hastily. "____There's that ping again. Motion tracker shows it's right on top of us!__" _

_Suddenly, something knocked Sally off her feet. The assault rifle went flying and skidded to a halt ten feet away. Sally kipped up and pulled the Python off her side holster. A hand grabbed her and twisted it so hard she thought it fractured. The Princess grabbed the arm and twisted it around. She froze for a second. The being she looked at looked exactly like ____her__. It was her! It wore a self-satisfied smile and smiled. The Mobian princess saw the murder in the thing's cold dark eyes, irises like icy chips. "I've got you now." She said in a tone not unlike hers. "____Sally, what is that?!__" "Who are you?" Sally demanded locking her arm around the thing's neck. "Don't you realize? I'm you." _

_Sally froze. "You're a clone!" "Correctly summarized, my Original. Now, I'm going to finish what I started." With incredible strength, the clone swung her leg up high and connected with Sally's skull. The Princess' head snapped to the left and she fell to the floor. Her head banged on the ancient stones and a bit of blood started to flow. She bit her lip to keep her cries inside. Better not to show your enemy weakness. There was one move she could do. It was very unlikely the clone knew it. A UNSC Earth Martial Art move called the 'Celeste Swipe'. The move was named after a pulsar located about 5,000 light-years from Earth rotating at about 1 rotation every 0.42 seconds. A single radiated planet orbited that pulsar, glowing bright from the REM. _

_Sally swung her legs out as far as she could and twirled on her back. Thankfully, the kick-up move seemed to have taken care of her adversary who was sprawled about two feet away rubbing her sore legs. Sally plucked the .357 from her belt and cocked the hammer. She made sure that the ironsight of her revolver was pointed at the clone's head. "You're under arrest." The princess said keeping the gun trained on the prone clone. "Why are you laughing?" She suddenly asked. "____Sally! Don't lower your—__" but the clone suddenly swung her legs out in a perfect copy of the Celeste Swipe. Sally was so shocked she didn't even notice her legs swept right out from beneath her. She made a perfect back flip and landed on her neck. Thankfully, her combat uniform stopped her from snapping her spine but she was still in a lot of pain. She rolled over, a few sobs escaping her. Her Python was missing so all she could do was use her hands._

_The stunned anthro looked up at her assailant with tears in her eyes. She saw a gun barrel pointing at her. Past the rifled interior, she barely made out the magnum bullet that would be put into her skull. "Who are you?" She asked with barely any more strength. "My name's Alicia, and I'm more than you'll ever hope to be, my Original." The clone pulled back on the hammer. Sally closed her eyes and muttered a silent prayer to herself. She was going to die…_

_Alicia placed her finger inside the guard and was about to pull that one little instrument, but she stopped. She couldn't do it. This creature ____was__ her after all. She'd be killing herself in a sense. Alicia bit her lip. ____Perhaps I could use her later…And I need that uniform to pass as her…__" She flipped the gun in her hand and swiped the grip across Sally's forehead. The Princess exhaled sharply and fell to the floor unconscious. Her eyes were dazed and she groaned once before surrendering._

_Alicia put the gun into her holster. Good thing she knocked her out. Shooting her would have been too messy. A bloody uniform would be as much evidence as leaving a robber's telephone number at the crime scene. "____You son of a bitch! You mother fucker! I can't believe you—__" NICOLE started to say but Alicia picked the computer up and tossed it across the room making her frenzied screams silent. The clone could barely hear NICOLE shouting "____Help! Help! Someone help us!__" _

_Alicia unzipped Sally's combat uniform and lifted it off her body. The clone tossed her garments aside and slipped the armored outfit over her and zipped it up. She smiled smugly looking at her adversary who was lying without any protection against the cold. Her body was vulnerable to hypothermia. Her breathing was easily visible in the subzero temperatures. "I'm better than you." The clone said with a childish jibe. She left the room to continue up the exposed staircase. Behind her, Sally's body remained still while a very thin layer of snow started to cover her._

_"Do you know where Sally is?" Sonic's clone asked. The Marines, still unaware of this shrugged. "She'll be here soon. It doesn't take that long to get up here." As he said that, a figure rounded the bend coming at full speed. The Marines wheeled around. "SONIC!" the figure screamed. The Captain stiffened. It was Sally. She was smiling widely and he realized it was because of Sonic. He was all official again. "Your Highness, I'm glad you were able to make it alright." She nodded. "Thank you for the concern, Captain." She turned to Sonic. "I can't believe you're here…" She said. "Easy, Sal. I'm here." Sonic said embracing her and kissing her on the cheek. Chris hastily turned around and scanned the hallway with his assault rifle. _

_"Something wrong, son?" Jolee asked drawing his lightsaber hilt. "Nothing, I just thought I saw something." The Marines took a second look. "Are you sure? I don't see anything." Ryan said staring down his machine gun sights. "Look, if I wasn't making sure our backs were covered over the years, we'd be dead already." "Could you have minded saying that before we were ambushed by a squad of Sith Troopers?" Rouge asked. "I mean, that was a rookie mistake! We were in a four-way intersection with superior arms!" They continued to argue while the clones talked. _

_"I'm glad you finally showed up." Sonic's clone said. "I had a little trouble. The Original crossed my path." The hedgehog laughed softly. "Did you kill her?" "No, but she's dead anyway. She'll be a block of ice this time tomorrow. Can we kill ____them__ now?" "Patience, Sal. We'll keep this going a little while longer." "My name is Alicia, Sonic." The hedgehog was honestly taken aback. "You've changed your name?" "Yeah. Wanted to separate myself from her." "Good job. Just hang tight, we'll be alright." _

_The Human and Mobian Marines were still exchanging insults. "So you spent two years drinking yourself half to death?!" Bunnie said accusingly "You are a piece of work, Chris!" "You know what; shut the hell up, Rabbot! I don't need this bullshit from you or anyone else!" "Yeah, well fuck you too!" Chris' hand started to move towards his holster. "Whoa, whoa! Let's calm down people!" Johnson said stepping between the two. _

_Alicia stepped in. "Yeah you guys cut it out. Nobody needs to get shot. Now let's see that map." The Human captain nodded. "Right. Who has the map?" Johnson stepped forward with the cube in his hand. "Ready when you are, sir." "Sergeant, activate the hologram." "Make sure you get this, Cortana." The Chief said to his AI. "____Recording, Chief. I'm ready__." Sonic and Alicia held their breaths. The cube unfolded like a metal flower and the circular holographic projector activated. A miniature of the galaxy appeared in the center of the box. "Incredible." Sally said. Chris overlooked that. Sonic took another picture of the map. "Uh…the Fleet's gonna have a field day with this." _

_Chris nodded in anticipation of getting a ride back to Earth. "OK Sally, get NICOLE out here so we can finish the map." Chris waited for a second but noticed Sally didn't do as he asked. "Uh…Princess, I need NICOLE out here." The Marines looked at Sally whose eyes darted back and forth. Tails actually put his hand on his lightsaber. "Sally…where's NICOLE?" "I…guess I dropped it." "____Her__." Bunnie corrected. "____IT'S A CLONE!__" Someone shouted. _

_Sally Acorn charged into the hall with her assault rifle raised. Her fur was covered in snow and she was visibly shivering. Her teeth chattered and the barrel of the MA5' swung all over the place including a spread that could harm friendlies. "She's a clone!" he roared again shouldering the gun. Jolee looked to Sally, then to the clone, then back again. "Well I'll be damned." He said. "____Well, this just got interesting__." Cortana said. Behind his back, Sonic's clone tapped a button on his wrist sending a distress signal to the ship._

_"Red alert coming from the planet's surface!" Ryan's clone said. "It's Sonic!" Tails' clone said. "He's in trouble. Looks like Little Boy Blue's cover is blown. I'll take us down." Chris' copy said. "get weapon systems ready, Knucks." "Roger." "Call down the thunder, Tails. Doc needs to know we've found them." Tails nodded and sent a coded transmission to the Doctor's flagship._

_The now-repaired and improved cruiser was as big as it originally was at about a kilometer in length. It carried hundreds of robotic soldiers, tanks…and fighters. Doctor Eggman received the message personally and launched every single ship that was docked on the cruiser. He wanted that map._

_"How did you regain consciousness?" Alicia asked with her hands up, a look of utmost loathing etched on her face. "Two things. One: the cold. It got so nippy I woke myself up, and two, NICOLE increased her volume so I could hear her." "____You're welcome, by the way__." The AI said smugly. "Are you going to arrest us?" Sonic's clone also asked. Chris walked up and smiled. "Yeah, we are. But try anything funny and I swear I'll shoot you where you stand." The device on the hedgehog's wrist glowed red. And Red, as every soldier knows, is ____the __worst color of the spectrum. _

_Laser blasts sounded off and the roof collapsed. The crew expertly sidestepped it and the Jedi combination of Jolee and Tails lifted some away. Above them was a streamlined ship that had swiveling gun turrets. This distraction proved to be an opening for Sonic's clone and Alicia. The Princess' clone grabbed the Captain and placed her magnum at his temple. Sonic drew an energy weapon out of nowhere. It was unlike any blaster they had ever seen. Cool blue energy pulsed around it. The hedgehog fired and sent a blue shot at Bunnie, Ryan and Rouge. The blast didn't kill them but sent them flying in all directions. Ryan's arm was burned in the blast and Rouge fractured her fibula. Bunnie handed unharmed save for a bump on the head. The ship landed in the middle of the room with the gun turrets still swiveling to track the others. The Master Chief ran with startling ability towards the hedgehog and fired several shots from the MA5C he was holding. _

_Sonic's clone sidestepped every bullet which pinged off ancient stone. The Spartan refused to let him go and fired until his magazine ran dry. Still no avail. The mag dropped from the gun and the Chief kept firing. Behind him, the hatch of the ship cycled open and four more figured marched out, each heavily armed. Even more disturbing, each one of them was clones. "This is some David Copperfield shit, right here!" Johnson said trying to nail Sonic with his BR55. Alicia was still holding Chris at gunpoint. Her grip was strong, much stronger than Sally's. She must have been grown to specifics._

_What Chris couldn't wrap his head around was how ____good__ of a clone she was. Most clones that he knew were in some way were imperfect copies, but these ones were so good that it was scaring the Captain. ____His__ clone strode up to him while the others kept his teammates at bay. "Well, well, well. So ____this__ is my Original?" "Yeah." Alicia said. "He appears to be the commanding officer here." The female clone remarked. "Peas in a pod, huh 'Captain'?" Chris snarled. _

_"We have to help him!" Tails said applying biofoam on Ryan's wound and smoothing it out over the skin. "They're gonna kill him!" "NO! We need to take care of these guys!" The Princess said shooting her assault rifle. "But Aunt Sally…" "That isn't gonna work on me, Tails! I'm the commanding officer here and I order you to keep fire…or Force on those guys! DO IT PETTY OFFICER!" she ordered. Tails flushed. It was the first time Sally ever mentioned his rank. "He can get himself out. He can…"_

_"Come on, shoot him already. We have drones en route to take care of the others. I don't know where the ____Phoenix__ is on this rock but she's here I think." Alicia said. Chris stiffened in her grasp. "The ____Phoenix__ is nowhere around!" he sputtered. "We don't know where the hell she is!" "He's lying." Chris' clone said pulling out a Desert Eagle identical to his own down to the monogram on the bottom of the grip. The clone racked the slide. "Hold him still. This may get messy." Chris struggled. He was found inside another death grip, only this time it was with Sally's copy! If the circumstances were different he wouldn't have minded so much. ____Come on…think! Wait! Sally's legs! She's nothing without her legs!_

_The memory of them sparring on Duxn was brought to mind. Only in that fight, Chris kicked out Sally's legs from ____behind__. He'd have to work on the ____front__. He activated his Bullet Time and brought his steel tipped boot onto her leg. The unrestrained movement made her tibia shatter and Chris audibly heard the bone splinter. Alicia released her grip and cried out in pain. Chris' clone discharged the pistol but the round harmlessly hit the wall behind the Captain. Chris grabbed his clone's shoulders and spun him into the wall. He sent two punches into his face bruising the copy's cheeks. Sally's clone was attempting to raise her gun but Chris kicked it out over the ledge. The weapon spun until it was swallowed up in white. _

_Tails leaped with the Force to confront his Clone. He wielded a sword that was visibly infused with Cortosis, a material that could resist most energy weapons…such as a lightsaber. ____Damn, that's gonna make this fight longer than I hoped__. He thought to himself. He lunged anyway with the blade and missed by a long-shot. The Tails clone took a slash but Miles withdrew just in time but got a cut across the arm for his trouble. The impact of the heavy blade made him bite his lip. The two locked swords and sparks flew. "I know I don't need to discuss this with you, but the others would laugh." The clone said. "What?" Tails grunted pushing the energy weapon closer to his adversary's face. The clone fox's blue eyes went wide with fear as he pushed back. "I've though of a name for myself. Amadeus." _

_"As in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? That's a curious choice." "Well, you see, there's music in combat all the time. Rhythmic if you will." Tails initiated a flurry of attacks but Amadeus blocked every one. "Quite interesting." "Thank you, I know." ____That's my father's name__. Tails thought. He had a sad thought of never seeing his family again. This gave Amadeus the gap he was looking for. He slashed at Tails who sidestepped a little too late. The Cortosis blade sliced across his shoulder blade. He screamed in pain as blood gushed from wound. He fell to the ground. Amadeus raised the weapon to stab through his heart when Jolee came from nowhere and blew the clone away with a wave of Force energy. Amadeus slammed into the wall and fell unconscious. _

_"MEDIC!" Jolee screamed and coughed profusely. Ryan answered that call and rubbed some kolto-infused biofoam onto Tails' cut. The fox whimpered for a second them calmed down. "Atta boy, kid." Jolee soothingly said to Tails. Miles had never been shot, he had never been stabbed, and he had never been slashed before. That pain was burning in his back. ____Oh God, make it stop! Oh God, oh God!_

_Sally needed to turn the tide of the battle. She needed to send them a message. "Ryan, give me a gun." Percy ducked under a fallen pillar. "Heh, gotta be specific, Princess! I have files I need to go through!" "Give me something that will cause lasting damage!" "I know just the thing!" Ryan said digging into the bag. He rummaged for a few seconds, flinched as a bullet went across his nose, then smiled. "You're gonna love this: M70457 Incendiary Projector! Fully gassed!" Sally shifted attention to Knuckles' clone that was armed with a large sword and his spike-tipped gloves. "OK, great! Just give me it!" Ryan tossed Sally the flamethrower and she squeezed the trigger. _

_A tongue of flame erupted from the nozzle and engulfed the clone who screamed loudly as he was being burnt alive. Knuckles' clone rolled on the ground shouting curses and begging his friends to put him out. "I almost feel sorry." Sally said. "End his suffering, Master Chief." The Spartan nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He raised his rifle and fired a single round that entered the clone's head. At once, the screaming ceased and the body just lay still on the ground, burning brightly. "One down…" Ryan said. _

___No. They killed Knucks!__ Sonic said looking at the body of his deceased friend. "NO!" He screamed shooting randomly at the others with his blaster cannon. His speed unfortunately lowered his accuracy and he was causing more damage to the temple and their shuttle than to the Originals. Bunnie sent a plasma bolt close to him but he retaliated by slowing down. He needed to make a good shot. _

_Amadeus started to come to. He rubbed the back of his head and started to get up, but there were two energy swords at his throat. One was Tails, the other was Bindo. Amadeus started to cry. It wasn't fair. He was so close to fulfilling his father's wishes. "Don't kill me!" He pleaded. To his surprise, Miles said, "The Jedi don't kill their prisoners." Amadeus laughed in relief. "Oh…thank you…" "Shut up. Get up, now." He ordered. The clone agreed and got up. His sword was lying a few meters away. If he tried to get it, he would be cut down. He raised his palms. "You really won't kill me?" "No, you are a defenseless opponent. It would be a crime to kill you." Jolee smiled. "Words to live by, Sonny." At this, Amadeus' eyes grew wide and his ears drooped. His twin tails stopped wagging. "In that case, I'm sorry. I…was only doing what my father said. He said that you were evil. I see that he was wrong." _

_"____Can I possibly be hearing what I'm hearing?__" A voice said. At once, a squadron of robots walked in. Ahead of them was a floating robot which projected the image of Doctor Eggman. Fighting literally stopped for a while. The Clones bowed their heads. "Father." They all said. Chris looked to his clone then to the Doctor. "____Father__? Wait, you made them, Eggman?" "____Correctamundo __mon capitaine____! I made these clones to help me find you. You're evil plans will be stopped!__" "They ____aren't__ evil!" Amadeus argued. "____Clones, your brother has flawed. He has forgotten his mission. He is a __traitor____. You know what to do with traitors…?__" "Yes, father." The clones said raising their weapons. "NO!" Both Amadeus and Tails screamed. The fox tried to run and protect his clone but Jolee held him back. "NO! DON'T!" the hermit roared. _

_Guns flared in rapid succession. Bullets streamed from the guns and into the clone's body. Amadeus twitched slightly as each bullet struck him and streams of blood flew from exit wounds. Tails screamed in anguish as he had basically seen himself die. Amadeus sobbed for a second then fell on his face, clearly dead considering the amount of lead which had been emptied into him. Alicia froze while lying on the ground. Sonic's clone also shared the look. Ryan's clone however kept his eye on the Marines and Chris' clone just laughed. "Remember the penalty of turning against me, my children." Robotnik said. "Bring me the map and the corpses of the Originals. That is all." Then, he shimmered from view. _

_Tails knelt beside Amadeus' body and turned it over. The clone's eyes were blank and a steady stream of blood leaked from his mouth. Tails' mouth twitched and a tear fell from his eye. Jolee knelt beside him. "I…I thought we saved him, Jolee. I thought we made him see truth! He's dead. ____I'm__ dead." "Miles, we have to go!" He grabbed the Mobian's arm and leaped away with a burst of speed. "No! The body!" "Leave it!"_

_Chris' clone punched his Original in his face. Chris' nose broke from the impact and some blood shot from his nostrils. Chris responded by making a karate chop to the neck striking the pressure point. The clone grabbed his neck and was momentarily incapacitated. Chris wheeled around in time to see Sonic's clone blast away at the UNSC's hiding place. The Master Chief was the hedgehog's prime target and was absorbing the fire. Chris saw the MJOLNIR armor smoke and spark as the energy shields overloaded. Sonic shot him again and the Spartan was forced to one knee. Before he could cast the killing blow, the Captain tackled him. The clone was taken by surprise and they tumbled. Chris sent a few punched to the copy's face fracturing its jaw. "You won't win!" Sonic's clone said pulling a grenade from his belt and priming it. Chris shot the clone's arm and he dropped the grenade screaming. Chris punted the grenade through the nearby window and it exploded harmlessly over the snowy desert. Sonic kicked Chris off him and got to his feet. Unfortunately he had no weapon. "Hey Sonic!" Chris said with a smile. "I've been dreaming of doing this for a long time." He fired his Desert Eagle once. The bullet spiraled out of the gun and into the brain. Blood and grey matter fanned out in a bloody puff. His body still swayed. Chris gave him a hand and threw him out the window. The body cart wheeled in space before being swallowed up by the storm. _

_"Let's hope I never have to do that again."_

_"They killed Sonic!" Ryan screamed hefting his M134. Chris' clone once again got to his feet and jumped on the Captain's back. The clone drew a knife and stabbed it into Chris' shoulder. Vennettilli screamed and attempted to throw him off. He managed to shake him off long enough to pluck the knife from his shoulder with a sickening ____shunk__. He was half-dizzy from the pain and was now stumbling. He did pull a punch from thin air and landed it in his clone's solar plexus. The copy dropped his gun and gasped for air. He backed onto an exposed balcony which he assumed used to be a sentry lookout or an alcove. Regardless, it was quite cold and windy. "Come on, get me!" Chris screamed. The clone recovered and got in close. There was an exchange of blows that ended with Chris getting a sore hip. ____He's better than me. He's going to beat me!_

_Just then, Sally came through the opening. "Freeze! Both of you!" she ordered. Both Chris' stopped dead in the middle of their fight. Sally's head darted from one to the other. "OK, who's who?" she asked. "I am!" Both of the humans said. "Fuck. One of you had better convince me quick!" The Captain could see her pistol was shaking in her hands. She didn't know which one of them was the genuine article! "Sally, come on! You know I'm the real one!" Chris shouted. "He's lying! Believe me! I'm the real one!" "Please, Sally! It's me, it's Chris!" Sally. "Do it! You have to get one of us!" the Captain said. Unwise choice of words…_

_Sally shed a silver tear but still refused to pull the trigger. What sealed the deal however, completely shocked Chris. The clone started to break down and cry. It literally sunk to its knees and sobbed into its hands. "Please Sally…it's me! Please! It's really me!" Then, with determination in her face, she altered the barrel to point at Chris. ____No__…_

_The flash was bright from where the Captain was standing. Time slowed down faster than Bullet Time could have ever hoped to accomplish. There was no point sidestepping since he was rooted to the spot. ____No…__The bullet hit him dead center in the chest. Chris exhaled deeply as crimson blood arced in front of him. Breathing came difficult. This was starting to look eerily similar to his Near Death Experience on Mobius…only he felt that he wasn't going to come back from this one. ____No…_

___Chris' body hit the snow with a muffled ____thump__ and the sick splashing of blood. Behind his hands, the clone smiled. Sally walked ahead and looked at him. He was losing lots of blood and would probably be dead in about five minutes, ten tops. "Thanks, Sal." The clone said. "Hey, I was scared. I thought that I was going to have to kill you." "Sal, it's alright. I knew I just had to throw my emotions out there so that you'd be able to know it was me." "Well, I'm glad you're safe." She said hugging him and rubbing her head up and down on his chest. Chris' clone shuddered. "What's the matter?" The Princess asked. "It's cold. I need to be back inside." "Oh, right!" _

_The battle inside wasn't going well. Tails was once again in for biofoam because of Ryan's clone, The Chief was now lying down in the hallway having portions of his armor removed by Bunnie and Rouge while Cortana provided a walkthrough. Alicia was still causing trouble even though she was hobbling on one leg. "We need to help them, Chris!" he didn't answer though. "Well, you see, I think that's where we have conflicting ideas."_

_Sally whipped around. Her eyes were wide. "What?" "Well, I don't think that I should." "What are you talking about? Were you hit too hard? Are you punch-drunk?" "No, I'm fine. I can't hurt them. I have a job to finish." "A job…?" Then, the realization came to her. "Oh my God. Oh my God! Oh no! I shot—" She looked at the prone body which was still bleeding. She felt dizzy. "Oh no…!" Suddenly, the clone slammed her into the wall. "Alicia thinks she's more beautiful than you are. She's wrong. You're much more beautiful…" _

_The clone was too close. Sally shuddered and tried to punch him, but the copy just kept side stepping her blows. "Get away from me!" She screeched. "Oh come on. Alicia never let me do anything. Maybe you'll be more…open to suggestion?" "Help! Someone!" "Oh come on, I'm not a bad guy. I ____am__ Chris, down to the last fiber. Just one little kiss—" Suddenly a gunshot went off. The clone recoiled and was dazed. "Oh you did not just shoot me did you?" "No, I did." Alicia said with a smoking pistol in her hand. Chris' clone had a bullet wound in his side directly perpendicular to Alicia. "Now Alicia, let's be civil—" but she wasn't in the mood to talk. Alicia shot Chris' clone in the head and it exploded sending gore all over the place even splattering Sally who squirmed in disgust. _

_"About time I've left." She said. "You're lucky I can't walk so good. You get to live…for now. I can't save you from Robotnik's drones. Good luck getting out of here, Princess." Alicia just hobbled away at a quick speed onto a waiting dropship that took down a score of drones. She motioned to Ryan's clone. "Come on! Let's get out of here! I have the map!" _

_Ryan's clone stopped firing his gun and turned to run. That was his biggest and last mistake. The Master Chief took the opportunity to blast him right between the shoulder-blades. Ryan's clone fell down dead before he hit the floor. Alicia cursed and slammed the hatch shut ordering the pilot to take off. She looked at the cube that she picked up. In all the confusion nobody ever checked to look for it. The outside was getting dark. She was sad that all of her brothers died down there although she did not care for killing Chris. He deserved it. ____I'm more beautiful that she is!__ She said over and over to herself, each one getting more and more psychotic. _

_The robots that were left over were still active. These were different. They were much more organized, much more powerful, and their outward appearance changed. They still retained the touches that tied them to Eggman, but they seemed more…human-like, more powerful. "He still has that Chaos Emerald, I think!" Ryan said blowing an Eggbot in half with a heavy caliber machine gun. "He's building an army out of it!" Rouge concluded. "No wonder my bullets aren't getting through as easily as I thought!" Sergeant Johnson kept them under control. "Percy, grenades up! Chief, keep fire. Cortana, I want you to scramble those Eggbot's targeting systems." "____Working on it, Sergeant. Done__." _

_The drones were lost and effectively blind. Ryan tossed two HE grenades at the robots. The blast took out a full squad of them and they mopped up the rest. After a few more minutes, the robots turned and retreated. The Marines cheered on their victory. "____They're running! Why?__" Cortana asked. "I think because they were told to run." Bunnie conjectured. Johnson took a look around. "Wait, where's the map?! Where's Sally?!" _

_"____Please, I'm sorry__!" She begged. "____I'm SORRY!!__" she sobbed again. The human at her feet was breathing quickly and shallowly. NICOLE lay at her feet in her holographic form. "He won't last much longer. He needs medical attention or else he'll die." "I'M NOT LOSING HIM AGAIN!" the Princess cried out. "Sally!" A voice behind her said. Johnson saw the body. "Oh my God…Captain!" Johnson took out some biofoam. "Don't bother, Sarge." NICOLE argued. "He's been out too long. He needs more advanced treatments. If we can get him back to the Ebon Hawk we may be able to stabilize him but he'll need UNSC medics." "Gotcha. Chief, we need a medlift pronto!" _

_The Spartan budged through. Several pieces of armor were badly damaged and needed to be replaced. He gingerly picked the man up as if he was a doll. He took care not to crush the human in his hands as it was hard to control his reflexes. "Let's get going!" Johnson ordered. "Oh, and Bunnie, look after Sally. I don't think that she's feeling alright. Get me?" "Gotcha, Sarge." Bunnie said nodding her head. "Sally-girl, you OK…?" she said engaging in a conversation. _

_"I see he did a number on those clones." Chief responded. "Yeah, he's a regular badass." The Sergeant responded. "He would have made a good Spartan." "Are you kidding, the kid might have had guts but he was no muscleman or anything like that." "I meant state of mind. He has courage." "I'll give him that…" Johnson said lighting up. "____Sergeant, how are you planning on continuing without the map piece?__" "Oh, we have the map piece with NICOLE. I just don't want to think about what Robotnik's up to now that he has his hands on this one." He looked at the young man whose arm hung limply at one side. "Crazy fool, why do you have to do this to us?" _


	24. Chapter 23: Flight of the Phoenix

Chapter 24: Flight of the Phoenix

January 9th, 3238, 1142 hours

Rhen Var, Snowy Plains South of mysterious tomb

_Ebon Hawk_

Sergeant Major Sally Alicia Acorn Soldier's Log

Enter Password

Password Accepted

/Begin Log/

I…I CAN'T…Leave me alone! (Static/Interference [ERR UKN])…Is this thing on?! I…I don't know where to start; I mean…Those clones caught us completely by surprise! They managed to bang up some of our guys pretty good. Ryan's going to have that bandage on for a week at best while the biofoam works its magic and Rouge needs a splint since we have no healing tanks! And worst of all…C…I mean, the Captain….I SHOT HIM! I SWEAR I DIDN'T MEAN IT! I…I'M SORRY! PLEASE! (Interference)…going to kill me, I know it. Mom and Dad are going to have me flayed on the spot! He hasn't gained consciousness and it's been almost an hour! How long can it be before patients succumb to gunshot wounds?! Please…for anybody who would be listening to this record in the future…I'M SORRY! I'M-(Interference/UKN ERR) (EXCEPTION: L.O.S.! SHUTTING DOWN)

/End Log/

Sally Acorn wiped tears away from her eyes as she set the datapad down on the surface of the central projector. She sadly sat on the jumpseat with her head in her hands. Behind her, the door to the medical suite was sealed. Inside the small room, the human she had mistakenly shot was lying there, possibly dying. Her tender ears picked up barked orders behind the bulkhead but she dared not listen in. Instead, she sadly slumped to the cockpit and sat in the pilot's seat. The storm was still raging outside and the wipers on the transparasteel windows hummed back and forth raking off the accumulating snow. Tails was monitoring the communications when she came in.

"Sally? Are you alright? Tails asked. Sally shook her head and hiccoughed. "No I'm not Tails. I still can't get over it." Miles came over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sally…I sense…he's going to be alright. I _know_ he's going to be alright. Do _you_ believe he's going to be alright?" "I…I think so…It's just…he was hurt so bad! The shot hit him right between the ribs! That's his lungs ruptured for sure and possibly paralysis! I can't live on that! I CAN'T!"

The loud conclusion to her sentence drew attention from the back. "Everything OK up there?" Jolee asked. "We're fine." Tails answered back. "Are you sure? Sound pretty hellish, son." "I'm sure, Jolee. Just get back to looking over Chris." When the hermit left them, Tails looked into Sally's eyes but he needed to ask her a question that he felt he wouldn't get a straight answer to.

"Sally, this may be a bit personal but I need to ask." She rubbed her nose on her sleeve. "Yeah?" "Sally, I need to know this. When Sonic's clone went in the tomb and when Alicia saw him, I sense she felt genuine joy and love for Sonic, much like you did. You and Chris obviously share the same feelings, all than _then_ some." Sally leered at the young Jedi. "Where is this going, Miles?" "Sally, who are you in love with? Chris or Sonic?"

Tails was right. He had thrown Sally a curveball. She had to take a swing or strike out. The answer was forming in her mind yet she couldn't get it to surface, much less say it in front of Tails. She _did_ love Chris. She _did _love Sonic too. Why couldn't she love _both_ and be over with it? Then she reminded herself that it didn't work that way. She went with the only option she could muster: "I don't know, Tails."

Miles exhaled. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath. _Ah well, back to the drawing board_. "I don't know. Chris is sweet but Sonic is brave and willing to sacrifice all he loves. But so does the Captain. Sonic's great when it comes to actions, but Chris is great with words. He's smart, funny, and just a pleasure to be around too." Tails cracked a small smile. "You seem to be favoring towards the human." "_What if I am?! What the FUCK is that supposed to mean?!_" Tails raised his palms in defense. "EASY. I meant no offense, Your Highness."

"God…I'm sorry, Tails. I mean, the first human I've come to love is lying in that room with a gunshot wound that _I_ caused. I…I think I'm having an anxiety attack right now!" "Relax. Look at me, Sal. It's gonna be alright. The Captain's gonna pull through. Nobody kills him, not even you. I don't know why but it happens."

"I need an incision right beneath the third rib on my right." Bunnie said through a disposable medical mask. Johnson complied by taking a scalpel from a small cup of Hydrogen Peroxide and wiping it with a towel. He carefully made a small cut right beneath the rib. Jolee was on hand in case some emergency Force Healing needed to be done. However, the crack medical team seemed to be heading up quite well so far.

"Careful, Shugah." Bunnie said. She had familiarity with medical procedures through her own augmentation. Nate Morgan, an elderly Overlander from Mobius (and unfortunately a descendant from a traitorous Marine of the same name) operated on her replacing her arm and some internal organs with mechanical and biomechanical components. "Relax, I got this." The Sergeant gruffly said expertly splitting the skin. Some blood dripped out but the wound was mostly clean. Not a good sign: that meant that he lost a lot of blood. Three quarts were lost from the wound which bled a lot after he received the shot and through other cuts.

"Good job. Make sure we get a good angle on the bullet, now. Looks like it shoved itself right against the upper right atrium of his heart. You lucky bastard." Johnson laughed. "Captain has a talent for kicking Death in the crotch; two times before he managed to save his own ass from expiration. I believe you were present for one." "Oh yeah; I was dead worried about that you know." Johnson kept the incision open and he managed to get an angle on the round. Even though the Sergeant had seen some lucky ones in his time this was just too close for comfort. He could see the wall of the heart still beating and pushing against the lead lump. "Holy Mother of God." Jolee stepped forward. "No, no. We're alright." Bunnie assured.

"OK. We can pluck it out just like that, right?" "No, it's not that simple. We need to carefully extract the bullet or we risk putting him in more danger than he was already. Make a bigger hole and he's sure to punch out. Play this one safe. I'll get it." Bunnie picked up a pair of tweezers and proceeded to place it inside the hole. Chris didn't even stir as they entered his body. Bunnie started to sweat as she nearly brushed his third rib. She felt she had a good grip on the round and started to pull it out when…

"What's going on?!" Johnson said. "What? I never did anything!" "Oh no! Blood pressure's rising! His breathing's slowing down!" "OK, OK, relax! We need to get this out of him. Administer 10ccs of Morphine and pull that thing out!" "We're losing him!" "We are, _NOT_ going to lose him, Sergeant, do you hear me?!" "This isn't looking good!" Suddenly, the EKG meter went blank. A deadpan tone blared out and suddenly Bunnie felt very dizzy. "Oh my God…" She said. "Oh my…" She fainted in Jolee's arms. The ex-Jedi placed her safely aside and went forward with his hands at the ready. "It's been some time since I've done something like this." Johnson quickly said, "You can heal him right?!" "Yeah, yeah! Of course I can! Just hang tight and give me some space!"

_Oh no, I'm back! I don't want to be back, I want to be alive! The Brink…it hasn't changed a bit! There he is…the hooded figure…_Chris wandered through the darkness. "I see you come again." The figure said. "I guess I have. It's not my time now isn't it?" "It most definitely isn't. Have I not said to you that you still have many more adventures? Begone." "I can't. I'm really dead this time." The figure placed a sleeve to its face. "That was against my predictions. You shouldn't have died." Vennettilli flared. "So why the hell am I here?" the figure shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. I am by no means an expert but I believe that the body decides whether to release the soul when one has emotional pain done to them. Have you had emotional pain inflicted upon you?" "You spy on _me_. You should know." "Please forgive my lack of attentiveness. I am a busy spirit. You know you are not the only tenant of The Brink you know!" Chris decided to explain.

"You remember Sally?" "Yes, Quite well. Sally Alicia Acorn, Age 22, turns 23 this year on April 26th am I correct? Your 'squeeze' if I may?" "Yeah…she shot me." "Oh you are certainly not the first to tell me that. I can tell that this was a misunderstanding though. No need to explain. Your heart took a beating and your body decided to expunge you. You have the right to refuse and head back if you wish. Ask yourself this simple question:" He bent over until his empty hood was head-height with Chris and placed his phantom sleeve on Chris' shoulder. "Do you want to live? Will you accept the attempt your friends are performing on you right now?" "Is that a trick question?" "Then _will_ yourself to live. _Will_ yourself to make amends for your heart. I can do nothing."

"Erm…thanks…I guess." "It's of no trouble. Now, best be off before you can't get back." Chris turned to leave. "I just have a few questions to ask you. I needed to ask." "Ask, and I will answer." "Is this place real or is it a hallucination? Are you God?" The spirit faced him full center. "I am not God." He said curtly, his matter-of-fact voice echoing in the darkness. "Oh…" "I am whoever you want me to be. God doesn't exist. That's because you are an atheist, are you not?" "Well…" "Oh, who am I to hold a grudge? I can be whoever you want. I can be the shadowy figure you see here…" there was a swirl of black smoke and there was a woman with earth-colored robes and a hood covering white, atrophied eyes and front facing braids. "I may be the shade of a woman that has been touched by two sides of a universe, a mere servant of a greater power…" it morphed again this time a creature that stood much higher than he, covered in cracks all over his skin, a white, sightless eye looked upon the frightened young man. "I may appear a Lord of Pain, unable to give in to death, unable to die, only living to cause misery…" and finally, it morphed in the shape of Sally, whose physique was covered by nothing more than a light robe. There appeared to be an angelic glow behind her. "I may appear to be the one you love, the one you have fought for both fairly and not, I appear as the only thing you truly _desire_ in the living world." Chris' arms rose to embrace her and she let him. Her fur was softer here, the glow in her eyes brighter. He wanted nothing more than to be with her, making each other theirs. Chris released Sally's shade and at once it morphed back to the cloaked figure.

"But I willfully appear as none of those things, human. I appear to you as the shrouded figure who lovingly guides the souls of Existence in the right direction and I say that you still have much to live for. It will be quite some time, several lifetimes before you choose to stay with us, and by that time your legacy will have grown to an incredible scale."

Chris couldn't believe the words. "But is this all real or am I just crazy?" The figure took time considering this question. "Death is an illusion. Remember that Christopher James Vennettilli. This place's existence only depends on you and whether you want to believe it's real or not. For now though, you need to be with your friends. Leave."

"I think I've got him stable!" Jolee said with his hands on the Captain's chest, hands glowing with ambient Force energy. Avery had to admire the Jedi's skill. The heart rate meter was rising and the gentle pinging of life was heard. The human's chest rose and fell again gently but he still remained unconscious. Jolee used the Force gently to pull the bullet out of the wound and place it on the table. "There we go." He said. "OK. Let's sew him up and get him out of here."

The door to the bulkhead opened. Sally immediately ran to the main hold to see what the commotion was about. Tails came behind her. Johnson held Bunnie in her arms who fainted. "Oh no…" Sally said noticing her friend. "Don't open the waterworks yet, princess. The Captain's OK. We lost him for a second but he doesn't want to go yet." _Thank Mobius!_

"Is he OK?" "Yeah, he's fine. We're just bringing him out of anesthesia now." Sally was almost jumping for joy. She stopped herself however when she realized he could still blame her for shooting him. Would her stupid mistake be the end of their relationship? She also realized that she was starting to act like the Captain when he spent a couple years thinking about his mistake that he made aboard the _Leviathan_. Funny how life works out.

Chris had his arm draped over Jolee's shoulder. He had a bandage wrapped around his torso where the round hit him. He was dazed though, confused by what was happening. His time on the Brink weakened him. "Jolee…I thought I was going to die for sure. It felt like it." "I know. I don't ever want to get as close as you did. How did you hold on?" "I just…didn't want to go. I think I had a hallucination where I was between life and death." "A hallucination?" Chris shrugged. "I don't know. It's happened before." He clutched his wound which was throbbing. "God DAMN! That's the exact same spot I was shot last time!" The Jedi looked serious. "You were shot before? By a bullet?" "Yeah and it was just as messy. I held on that time too. The only reason was…Sally."

Chris locked eyes with the Princess. Then, he stared at the floor for a moment. "I'll take him, Jolee." "Sure. Where you taking him?" "Bunkroom. He needs some rest." The ex-Jedi nodded. "Sure. Just look out. His legs are still weak." Chris agreed. "Yeah, Sal don't drop me, I won't be able to crawl the rest of the way." Sally chuckled and was able to support the Captain. It was no small feat since he was heavier than her. Chris wrapped his arm around her back and grasped her shoulder. "OK." He said. The two stumbled and tumbled while Jolee studied them with a small smile.

The port bunkroom had only one person in it and that was the Master Chief. He had removed his outer armor and was now donned in a UNSC leisure uniform, a white T-shirt and olive drab cargo pants. Sally froze when she saw him. The Spartan's muscles bulged under the fabric and his powerful arms flexed in the air. "Chief, am I interrupting something?" The Spartan wheeled around and looked at the two. "No…I was just getting used to being out of my armor. I don't usually do that. The last time I was out was a few months ago, at least to me." "And…?" "Fabric's real nice. Feels like cotton." "Nanocotton to be precise. Listen Chief, I was wondering if we could have this room for a second." "Yeah, sure. Just don't mind the armor over there. Don't touch. It has a security system." "Got it."

The Master Chief exited the bunkroom and went to the cargo hold to practice melee fighting. Sally closed the door and set the Captain down on the bed. "Cortana, can you lock the room down?" "_I can. What are you doing_?" "That's private." "_I think I see._" The light on the door winked red. "_There you are. Just let me know when you want it open. Oh, but I have to keep monitoring the rooms in case of mechanical problems._" Sally thought about it for a moment. "OK." Then, she turned to the human and sat on the bed.

"How are you doing?" "I've been better…" The Human groaned. "Listen, Chris. I'm _so_ sorry for shooting you! I swear I had no idea!" "Sally…" "I mean, if I had know, I would have never known!" "Sally…" "If there's anything I can do, ANYTHING…?" the Captain shouted, "Sergeant!" Sally clamped her mouth shut. "I'm OK. I have no brain damage, I am not suddenly retarded. I'm just a little short-winded right now. No need to apologize. I _repeat_," he said as the Princess just opened her mouth. "There is _no_ need to apologize." He simply just lay back and slammed his head gratefully on the pillow. Sally exhaled in defeat and lay beside him. He didn't look at her. "Do you think I shot you on purpose?" Chris paused looking at the ceiling. "I…maybe." He said with a blush. Sally frowned sadly. "But…why?" "I thought you wanted to get back at me for all the stuff I did to you here: Insulting you to your face and in front of your friends, taking so long to find you…" "But I forgave you for that! I don't want to hurt you."

Chris' lip trembled. "I'm sorry. I was angry, I was confused." "I know." She cooed. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him long and deep. "That's just me telling you I'll never hurt you, Chris." She kissed him again and this time she started to put more effort into it. The Captain realized why she wanted privacy. "No, no. Not tonight, Sal. Not in my condition."

She stopped what she was doing. In this case she was unbuttoning her shirt. "What? Why?" "My heart rate is still pretty rough. My blood pressure is way too high. If I pass out (which is pretty likely considering all the blood I've lost), I'm pretty much dead. You might kill me." She sighed sadly. The magic just didn't happen as often as it used to. She began wondering if their relationship was only going to revolve around sex. She pushed it out of her mind. "Then can we just sleep?" "No. You need to fly the ship, give orders. I need rest." She thought, "OK, how about until _you_ fall asleep?" He nodded with a thoughtful look on his face. "That might work." "OK, then. NICOLE, wake me in about an hour. Tell the others to take off. E-mail them the map." "_Gotcha, Sal._"

She slipped off her shirt and slid under the covers next to him, a light muscle shirt covering her torso. "Can this bed fit two?" the Captain wondered. "It probably wasn't designed to, but we'll make it. She wrapped her arm over his chest and felt the warm spot where the bullet hit his body. She bit her lip guiltily but that passed. "Dim the lights, Cortana." The AI silently replied with the lights lowering to near-darkness. She rested her chin on Chris' shoulder. He was already asleep. She could tell from both his closed eyes and his chest rising and falling at a slow rate. "Well, I have an hour." She said to nobody in particular. She closed her eyelids and she also drifted away with him.

The Master Chief was finished with his practice. He apologized to Tails for accidently breaking a few inventions by accident by claiming, "I thought they were mannequins!" He also sent Rouge to the medsuite who made the mistake for wanting to have a sparring match with the Spartan. John made a "light" blow that sent her ten feet and into a couple crates. Thankfully, she only suffered slight bruising to both mammary glands and an impressive bump on the head. She was still undergoing trauma therapy for the next half-hour from the ship's computer which asked simple, programmed questions into it such as "_What color is the sky of Earth_ or _True or False, President George W. Bush had the lowest approval rating in US history_ (The answer was False).

Content that he hadn't killed anybody by accident, he proceeded back to the port bunk. He had a thought about the UNSC _Atlas_ where he unceremoniously beat two men to death by accident. He was a threat to people as much as he was a symbol of hope. His thoughts were interrupted when he encountered a thick metal bulkhead. "Cortana, what's this?" he demanded. "_Chief, this is a durasteel bulkhead approximately one inch in thickness_." The Master Chief was unamused. "Cortana this is serious." "_OK, I was ordered by Sergeant Major Acorn to lock down the room to have a private conversation with the Captain._" "It's been over an hour! Open it up." "_Well, technically I can't unless I have orders to. And the Sergeant or the Captain can override the commands_." "Oh, I know what 'private' means." He shook his head and turned to walk away. "_Chief, I detect a measure of anger in your voice. Possibly…_jealousy?" "_Jealous?!_ I'm just curious why a human would want to hook up with a furry."

Tails' eye twitched in the garage.

"_Chief, we've had this conversation. 'Furry' is a condescending term. The correct designation is 'Anthro'._"

"Thank you, Cortana." Tails breathed in the garage.

"But all I'm trying to say is, I don't know if it's right, a human taking a liking to what's technically an animal. It's like a human having a relationship with a Sangheili. It's not right." Cortana was silent for a moment and said, "I like you, Chief. Is that wrong?" "I...um…" The Spartan didn't answer. That was a tough question to answer. When wouldn't it be?

A message pinged on Johnson's datapad. He tapped it on and he got the coordinates for a hyperspace jump. Avery was curious and scanned the charts for the coordinates. Surprisingly, those positions would put them in the depths of unknown space. And in Rhen Var's place, that would take a little while to reach.

Tails sat down beside him. He was wearing a UNSC cap backwards. "What's up?" He asked. "We're just about ready to take off." The Sergeant replied lighting a cigar. "Where we headed?" "Miles, I have no godly idea. These coordinates take us essentially to nowhere since these maps don't chart the Unknown Regions." Tails took the datapad and looked at the exit point. "Well Sarge, take into consideration that these maps are very old and predate Republic records. They could possibly be directions for an ancient space-faring civilization, possibly the Forerunners!" "Wow, you on caffeine, boy? You're shaking like crazy. Thought about switching to decaf?" "I don't drink coffee." "Wow. Freaky. Let's start this puppy up!"

Avery keyed in the ignition sequence. The _Ebon Hawk_'s engines heated and flash-vaporized the coating of ice. Thrusters activated and the bird took off relatively smoothly and angled towards the atmosphere's edge. The _Ebon Hawk_ coasted through the clouds and punched through the air leaving a burning trail behind her. The freighter was free of the planet and cruised into space. The planet's single moon echoed Luna quite well in the night sky. All seemed quiet on the scopes. Too quiet…

"Heat signatures detected!" Tails screeched looking at the radar. "Located! 50 kilometers ahead bearing two three by two seven nine! It just came from nowhere! A Stealth ship?" "Cortana, bring me some data on the target." "_Scanning, Sergeant. Vessel ID unknown. It's not operating on any UNSC COM Bands. Scanning Mobian Armed Forces Freq. Red through Violet...Got it. Pinned down on MAF Yellow Freq._" Tails' eyes darted around in thought. "Nobody uses MAF Freqs here except…Oh shit! We're surrounded!" Avery jolted the controls in shock. "_Contacts! Multiple contacts! All over the map! Reading 15 incoming vessels all operating under the same COM Freq, all the same class. Correction 16…Mother of God this is a big one. Flagship vessel estimated 2.8 kilometers in length._" "Avery ground his cigar in his mouth. "Robotnik. Come get us you fat bastard." 

Sally stirred slightly as she felt the deck rumble. The port thrusters activated spinning the ship clockwise. Her eyes opened slightly and she was content that the Captain was still breathing. He was asleep though. She nuzzled his nose with hers in an Eskimo style kiss. One glance at her watch and she was all business. She leaped out of the bed. "NICOLE I thought I told you to wake me up in an hour." "_I know Sal, but we have a situation. We've detected 16 ships closing in on us operating on the Yellow Freq. I think it's the Doctor._" "Aw, come ON!" Sally said rolling her eyes in anger. "Chris, wake up!" She said nudging him awake. He grunted. "What's going on?" "We're under attack! Get up!" Chris slid out of bed and slipped a T-shirt over himself, covering his bandages. He could walk better now and seemed to have recovered.

"Cortana, open the bulkhead. Our "talk" is over." "_Roger. Better get up here pretty quick. We're in a bit of trouble._" "Not good." Chris said placing his cap on his head and slipping into his boots."

"Shields at maximum, weapons operational." Johnson said initiating the combat procedures. Cortana took control of the guns and sent a bolt of energy streaming towards the closest Stealth ship. The turbolaser struck and the shields flared. The robotic craft didn't give though. Cortana decided to continue the attack and the shield eventually gave. The Stealth ship ignited for a second then went out. "Hell yeah!" Johnson crowed as he pulled the ship up.

"What's going on, Johnson?" Sally asked. "They've just launched fighters! Princess, get in the gun turret. Captain…you look awful you know that?" "Thank you for pointing that out, Johnson." Chris said settling into the jumpseat. "Sally, go. You're a crack shot with gun turrets. Hold off those fighters until we get into jump range." She nodded and ran off. The entrance to the turret was directly across from the medsuite. The Princess climbed up and situated herself in the gun. There was a window directly ahead with the two barrels of the turrets. Tiny dots appeared all around her which were actually fighters that were belching death in their general direction.

Eggman's new fighters were much more agile, infused with Chaos Energy. Sally hoped that the _Ebon Hawk_'s turret could catch them. She spun the guns around and tried to put one in her sights. The bastard was quick so there was estimation of distance between the shot and the impact. She squeezed off three volleys of shots. The second volley connected and blew the aft section of the fighter apart. The ship drifted. The other T-shaped fighters changed their subroutines and attacked the turret itself.

Sally started to panic and sent blaster bolt after blaster bolt towards the small swarm of fighters. Many flashes confirmed her hits but some got through. The shield took the brunt of it but the _Hawk_ still rolled from the impact. Acorn shrugged this off though and resighted the guns. She zoomed in and targeted the next fighter that wanted to take a swipe at her ship. It met a similar fate as it's predecessor but when she blew off the starboard engine it simply accelerated into space unable to maneuver.

The others were swarming like bugs. One came shockingly close to her canopy, so close that she could read the fighter's serial number. Acting more on instinct than with skill, Sally blew the drone fighter into hot metal vapor, completely disintegrated by the intense energy. The _Ebon Hawk _was picking up speed. The Princess tried to keep fire on her targets but the fighters were just swooping way too fast, or was it the freighter? She hoped the sergeant knew what he was doing.

Avery slammed the throttle down for the _Ebon Hawk_. The stock freighter blasted through space. Johnson was bringing her close to one of the Stealth ships. Its reflective black surface was becoming more and more detailed. His plan was damn near suicidal. Johnson wanted to bring his baby so close to the Doctor's ship that even if the drone fighters missed, those lasers would hit something…

The Stealth ship was 500 meters from him. It was too damn close. He angled the prow upwards and fired engines full burn. The freighter's descent slowed and started to move upward. Tails held on tightly as the hull creaked in stress. The descent stopped at a mere 50 meters from the hull. The 200-meter ship was huge at this distance. It trained its guns on the diminutive _Ebon Hawk_. Cortana helped by firing the side thrusters moving it parallel to the hull. Laser blasts from the Egg fighters came towards them but didn't hit the makeshift UNSC ship. Instead, just as Avery predicted, they shot their own teammate.

The Stealth ship shuddered under the energy bolts. According to the laws of energy distribution, the smaller the ship is, the smaller the energy output. Since this was a Stealth ship, there would by a greater energy intake than output since it needed to keep its Anti-Detection systems working. So, the shields would be as useful as blocking a boulder with a paper towel. After a few simple friendly-fire volleys, the second Stealth ship exploded.

That got their attention. Eggman wasn't playing around any more. He had just lost two of his own ships and was sending out the big guns. The flagship's weapons warmed from a dull red to blue, ready to fire. Avery and Chris were instantly reminded of Covenant plasma weapons. Tails and the others had never seen Covenant Remnant combat before. The beams cut through space, slicing through several friendly fighters either by accident or because they didn't care. The beams found the _Ebon Hawk_ and battered her shields. The starboard portion buckled and the pulse beam sliced through the hull.

Bunnie and Rouge wheeled around. The garage turned white for a second and then there was a horrible noise. It sounded like a gunshot, lightning, and somebody ripping cloth all at the same time and right next to them. They found the source of the noise. A laser beam from one of Robotnik's ships had breached the hull and it was venting atmosphere.

It wasn't a large hole, probably twenty centimeters wide, but it was quite serious. The blast doors sealing was just pouring salt on the wounds too. "_Warning, hull breach detected in Garage section. Sealing bulkheads to contain breach_." The computer blared. The two females panicked and were starting to get frantic. "What are we gonna do?" Bunnie asked staring at the breach. "Seal it!" Rouge ordered. "With what?" "ANYTHING!" Bunnie began rummaging through the stores while Rouge assessed the hole. She wouldn't get sucked out, not by a long shot, but pressure was dropping rapidly. She could see the space outside (and the battle). She could also feel her saliva boiling even standing this close and her eyes got dry much quicker here.

"I've got it!" Bunnie said pulling a roll of silver adhesive. "Duct Tape?" "One thing you'll never hear a Southern girl say is 'I don't think Duct Tape will fix it."" With that, Bunnie started peeling off long strands and using it to cover the hole. It was difficult at first because the suction of air made holding onto the tape itself difficult, threatening to spin it out into space, and they would die. However this didn't happen. She made a criss-cross pattern until the howling stopped. "Five layers later, we're still alive. Ah Duct Tape, is there anything you can't do?" She kissed the roll affectionately. "I'll get a plate on there with Tails as soon as we're out of this place." "If we get out of this place." Rouge said somberly as the bulkheads reopened.

"We're getting rushed here." Johnson said in a hurried tone. "How are you holding up, Sal?" "_Bad. I have too many targets! I can't get them all._" "Christ…then we're gonna have to go for it." Johnson said. He had used the same feint that they employed on that last Stealth ship twice. Eggman's fleet was down to 12 ships and the _Ebon Hawk_ was not a pretty sight. A volley of lasers breached the garage hull but it seemed somebody repaired that damage right away. The starboard shield was history and the forward shield was issuing a warning.

"We need reinforcements!" He said. "From whom?" Chris asked holding onto the jumpseat. "There's nobody around for miles. Scratch that, parsecs! We need "dee-vine intervention" as you call it, Sergeant." "Hmph! That might be the best we can get."

Suddenly, explosions dotted the night sky. They were far away and the _Ebon Hawk _had no missiles to fire. Johnson's heart lifted knowing that the only possibly explanation would be friendly reinforcements. Tails saw it too and a smile spread across his face. "Is it the Republic?" "No, they don't use those weapons..." He kept his thoughts to himself and opened the throttle up. The freighter launched forward. Sally kept firing bursts from the turret and actually managed to destroy yet another Stealth ship. The Doctor's fleet was dwindling…

"This can't be happening!" Robotnik said dramatically on the bridge of his flagship, the only one in his battle group that could support organics. "How many ships did we lose?" a robot checked the computers. "Four. Err…five, doctor." Eggman ground his teeth angrily. "Those kids really know how to get on my nerves." "Doctor, the fighters seem to be taking care of our drones. We have to pull back!" "Stay the course. My ships are wearing the shields down on that little tin can. I don't care where those fighters came from; I'll destroy them all the same. It'll take something special to get them back on their feet." "Sir, Slipspace rupture detected 100,000 kilometers off our battle fleet."

Robotnik watched intently and saw that two ships had appeared from nowhere, streaking back into sublight speeds. One he recognized straight away. "Doctor! Scans show that one of those vessels is the UNSC _Phoenix_!" "I don't believe it. She finally comes out of hiding. Where have you been?"

The _Phoenix_ came forward of the two ships, taking the lead, shielding the smaller vessel. Thunder erupted as the MAC on her prow discharged and sent another Stealth frigate to hell. This time, the Doctor started to get nervous because he seemed to be pulling his ships back. Lances of Archer missiles and proton torpedoes streaked from both ships and impacted on the side of the flagship. Shields flared but they held.

"_Attention unknown vessel. Please state your name and ID. This is Lieutenant Wallace Veers of the UNSC destroyer _Phoenix." Chris' head snapped up. "Veers? _Phoenix_? Dear God, answer that COM now!" Johnson hit the COM receive button. "Lieutenant Veers, this is Captain Chris Vennettilli, UNSC _Phoenix_, 182nd, 5th Battalion." "_Vennettilli…Callows said you were alive. Man, you've been covering your tracks well. What's it been? Two years?_" "Yeah. What's going on? What's that other ship?" "_Uh, well we were gonna tell you when you got on board, but what you don't know can't hurt you. That's the UNSC _Acorn, _a new _Royal_-Class frigate_."

Sally blushed in the turret. _It's named after me?_ "There's no such class, Lieutenant." She said instead. "_There is now. We made this ship with some help from our friends_." "Friends?" Chris asked. "_I've said too much. Get your…whatever it is you're flying onto the _Phoenix_. Captain will want to see you!_" "Copy that, Veers. We'll be on board." Chris finished.

The Egg Fleet was in tatters. The combination of the UNSC ships _Phoenix_ and _Acorn_ had torn the entire robot fleet to scrap with the exception of a couple escorts and the flagship itself. The hulk managed to jump away from the battle leaving floating debris that would be an astrogation hazard for about twenty years while it dissipated. A few drones helplessly flew around while Sally mopped them up with short bursts from the _Ebon Hawk_'s turret.

They got a glimpse of the new ship as they made their approach. The _Acorn_ was about 200 meters in length, which made it slightly longer than a Prowler. She would be the smallest frigate of her kind. She was roughly arrow shaped but had that Earth touch about her that made her UNSC. The _Ebon Hawk_ would need to make an external dock with her in case they wanted to board which they weren't doing since the _Phoenix_ was their target. The destroyer's bay was open and the way was clear.

The freighter coasted into the launch bay and set down while the doors closed behind her. Johnson turned the engine off and extended the ramp. Chris got up and grunted in pain. "I need meds. I don't feel so good." He groaned. Johnson helped him up and led him towards the ramp. Sally met up with Bunnie and Rouge who were still quite shaken up by the experience with the vacuum. Rouge kept clutching her ears, which were damaged by the decompression. "It hurts every time I try to hear." She complained. "I'm just glad MacGyver here had some eh…sealing agent on her." "Really? It looks like you just duct taped the breach closed." Rouge shrugged and laughed. "Can you blame us? It worked."

Sally helped carry the Captain down the ramp. The launch bay was alive with activity as it usually was. Techs were running to and from places, working on what needed to be done. Most notably though, there were fewer Mobians than usual. "Hey. Where are all the anthros?" Ryan asked. "Some have decided to go to the _Acorn_." A voice said. Captain Allen Perry walked into view as crisp as the last time they saw him nearly two years ago. "She was built by our own techs while we were in space. Chancellor sanctioned it just for us. I don't know how you did it but welcome home. It's been tough struggling hasn't it?" "Yeah. We've had better times." The Captain said smiling weakly. "Captain, what's wrong?" "I got a little bit shot." "Are you OK?" "No. I…need treatment…I don't feel so…" He fainted right on the spot. His body hit the floor with a metallic _thump_. A pair of technicians, one Human, one Mobian came and lifted him up. "Hey, watch his feet!" Sally said. "Sorry, Highness." The Mobian apologized and lifted the Captain's feet up. They all watched until he entered the elevator.

"He'll be OK. He has contamination from the wound?" Tails nodded. "Yes sir. Contamination, he's been exposed to subzero temperatures for a few minutes, and he lost a few pints of blood." "Damn. We'll get him fixed up. For now, debriefing room. Double time." He froze when he saw the Master Chief. "This isn't…" "Sir, Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan-117 reporting for duty sir!" "Dear Lord." The Captain breathed. "Well, you _have_ been busy. Spartan 117 must have encountered a similar means of getting here?" "Yes sir, but even more unintentional than our case." Tails said. "I think I know all about it, Petty Officer. No need to explain." The fox nodded. "Jedi, huh?" he said pointing to the lightsaber and then to Jolee. "You have a lot to explain."

"Are we away?" "Yes Doctor. We are long gone from the Duboli system. Plotting course for the Y'Toub system now." That was a good plan. The Y'Toub system was infamous in the galaxy for having the Smuggler's Moon, Nar Shaddaa. The ecumenopolis moon orbited the bloated planet of Nal Hutta. It was a good place for people to disappear in, even Doctor Robotnik. "Keep on course. I have business to take care of." "Yes Doctor.

Robotnik walked down the main promenade alone. Not a single being living or mechanical walked with him. A wile later, he approached a locked door. He keyed in the code and it slid open near silently. There was darkness inside except for a lone figure who was sitting in the lotus position. Her eyes snapped open as he walked in. Her eyes were cold blue, full of icy murder. "How's your leg, Alicia?"

Alicia gritted her teeth. Her leg was still in a splint and it was injecting bone stitching medicine inside her. It was quite painful but it would heal it right up. "Better." She growled. Sally's clone got up without using her hands in a flash. "Your robots are no challenge, Doctor. I dispatched them easily." Eggman looked over her shoulder to see the battered bodies of his drones still bleeding oil and fluid. "I can send in the berserkers if you desire, my sweet." "They will do fine. But they won't get in." "I'll deliver them modularly and they'll self-assemble. Do you need a pistol?" "No, the bo staff will do quite nicely." Robotnik smiled. "How badly do you want your Original dead?" Alicia clenched her hands into fists so hard her knuckles cracked. "Bad." She breathed. "Then be patient. We have the map piece. We have decrypted it with out technology and have found the place where the Emerald is. Undoubtedly they will reach it but not before us." "Thank you, Doctor. Now I need to practice." "Do what you need to do, Alicia." He turned and the door closed.

"That's quite a story. That would explain how you managed to find the other remaining map pieces?" "Correct sir." Sally said. "This was before we lost the cube to Eggman and his clones." "I see. Rest assured I can get the ships into a position to move when we need to. Until then, relax here on the ship. We need to get back to Coruscant to pick up our men and supplies, including the Tornado." At this, Tails' ears twitched.

"Sir, a quick question: Why did you leave Coruscant. There were hundreds of Marines and Navy on the planet waiting for you?" Perry took a deep breath. "That is an excellent question. Why did we? Why did we ask all non-essential personnel to leave the ship? I guess the best answer was that we didn't want to endanger them. If we didn't succeed, we would at least give them the chance to start a new life. A prudent measure is it not?" "I…I have to agree sir." Miles nodded. "Now you're going to have to settle in. I have a couple escorts for you." "Escorts?" Johnson asked. "I think we know our way around the ship thank you very much." "Maybe. Maybe they just want to see you."

"Greeting: It is a pleasure to see you all alive again, masters!" a robotic voice said. They all turned to see two figures. One was a robot standing almost two meters in height. The other a warrior clad in UNSC combat armor. They were both recognizable at once. "HK-24! Kaiden!" Sally said. She actually embraced the robot. "Observation: This form of affection is unknown to me. It appears the female is wrapping her limbs around my frame. Perhaps you can elaborate, Master?" Kaiden smiled. "It's called a hug, 24." "Mandalorian. I see you haven't changed at all. Nice ensemble." "Your Highness, I am working with the UNSC right now."

They all exchanged greetings with the two friends. Apparently, the Sith didn't care for HK-24 or Kaiden, only wishing to grab the squad alone. Thus being said, they were able to get away unscathed. "Flaming clones, eh?" Kaiden asked while they were walking down the hall. "Sith's blood! The Doctor must be half mad mad!" "All that and a bag of chips." Johnson chuckled. "I'm impressed that you managed to snag a Jedi. Did you fight in the Mandalorian War, Jedi?" "_EX_-Jedi. No, I didn't fight in the Mandalorian Wars. I was in a self-imposed exile on Kashyyyk." "I see. It would have been interesting to see you fight. Someone your age fighting would have been very honorable indeed."

Erm…I don't mean to sound frenzied, but where's your commander?" "The Captain?" Tails asked. "Yeah…what's-his-name…" "Chris." "Right. Chris. How is he?" "He's…not doing too good." "Uh oh…I know what that means.

"How many fingers am I holding up, Captain?" The Lieutenant Commander asked. "Sir, I don't have brain damage…I just need blood." "I know. We're preparing the replacement fluids now. I just want to make sure you aren't delirious. That's quite a shot you took there son. Who removed it?" "A teammate of mine. She's good with her hands." "Your girlfriend?" "No. She's the one who pulled the trigger." The LC's eyebrows rose. "No kidding!" "Ah, it was by accident though. Long story, probably won't stay conscious long enough to tell it." "Good." The doctor said. "You need to rest up now. I'll be prepping you for surgery in ten minutes." "The hell with that, I want to be with my friends!" "Doctor's orders, Captain. Lie down." "Yes sir."

The doctor stabbed a syringe into his arm and waited for the drug to take affect. Slowly, the Captain's eyes closed softly and the Lieutenant Commander put on a surgical mask and called his fox orderly. "Let's get this one to OR, stat. Do you have the replacement plasma?" "Yes, doctor. More than we need; just to be safe." "Alright, get the sterile field operational. This is going to take a while."

The squad got situated in their rooms. The arrangements were exactly the same as the first time they were on. "Where's the Master Chief?" Tails asked from the top bunk. "He said something about getting new armor pieces. You saw how they looked on Rhen Var." Sally said on the bottom bunk adjacent. "Maybe a whole new suit for all I know." "Sally?" "Hmm?" "Do you think Chris is gonna be alright?" "It's just a routine procedure. He's going to be fine. I don't want to have to hold your hand forever, Miles." "_Attention all personnel, Hyperspace procedures initiating. All crew prepare for jump_."

The ships angled in space. Their engines pulsed blue as they prepared to jump. They streaked off into the night and vanished in a flash. The crew of the makeshift group knew it was coming. Endgame was only a short while away.


	25. Chapter 24: The Unknown Regions

Chapter 24: The Unknown Regions

January 13th 3238, 0941 hours

Coruscant

Senate Landing Platform

The Phoenix and the Acorn entered the atmosphere of Coruscant. The destroyer and her new frigate tagalong had already been cleared by the air traffic control so there was no trouble in getting to the ground. Traffic was, as usual, heavy. The ships were however not bothered because of their intimidating size and weapons.

Chris was still in the tanks. It had been a few days since he was out of surgery and they placed him in here. Reason being was that he needed some time for the new blood and plasma to take to his body, otherwise his body would reject it. He hung in neutral buoyancy just watching the air bubbles rise from his mask. He couldn't imagine Sally spending a night or two in this thing. It was so boring! That and the fact that he wasn't wearing any clothes either. The tubes could be frosted if the user desired but Chris didn't see much point. So, he just floated not caring about who stared at him 'warts and all'. He exhaled and looked around to get something to attract his attention. He noticed a Mobian marine who was looking downright somber in his tank.

"_Hey buddy, what's wrong? You're looking a little down_." The Mobian looked at Chris. He couldn't tell what its species was but he could see that it was a male and was possibly a wolf or a fox. "_Yeah, I am feeling a little bad_." Chris said, "_Talk to me. Whatcha in for_?" "_I'm all that's left of my squad, sir_." Chris reeled back and slammed his head against the glass by mistake. "_Oh…I'm sorry. I meant no offense_." "_Ah, don't worry about it, sir. Actually I think I'm quite lucky. I just managed to get away with this_:" He raised his right leg and showed him a slash on his thigh and on his upper left arm. "_Those look like lightsaber injuries, man_." "_I wouldn't know. All I do know is that me and my squad were ambushed on a hellhole named Raxus Prime by a group of what I think were Dark Jedi_." "_Did he say anything about a Darth Malak or Admiral Karath_?" The Marine scratched his head trying to remember and his eyes narrowed in thought. "_Come to think about it, yeah they did. Mentioned Darth Malak wanting to claim us for dead. They were spouting names of members that weren't even in our squad. I think they realized the mistake and killed the others. I managed to get away with these cuts and bruises. I killed him and took his lightsaber! It's in my pouch_!" Chris nodded. "_Good work. I hope you deliver that to ONI. As a matter of fact, give it to the ONI agent Rouge the Bat. She'll be able to deliver it to the UNSC safely_." "_Will do, sir_."

The Phoenix found a spot where they could land. There was already a small crowd of people there with bags packed. Some seemed surprised to see these ships, mainly the Acorn which seemed like an angular flying 'T'. Some Mobians also lovingly called her the 'T-Bone'. The landing gear deployed and the ship touched down. A couple F-29s coasted over it giving quite a scene. Lieutenant Veers was just showing off when he pulled that double helix corkscrew with an added flourish at the end.

"_All UNSC Marines report to either the UNSC_ Phoenix _or_ Acorn. _Accommodations will be made for any extra personnel, limited to two per person. Launch will commence in fifteen minutes. Thank you_."

"Damn, it's much more beautiful in the sunset." Johnson said looking out to the horizon. "It reminds me of Chicago. Like home." This sent a wave of homesickness at the men. It had been two years since they had seen Earth. What would their families say to their sons and daughters or spouses who were dead for that time? Sally was in the biggest predicament. Her father and mother loved her to death. What if her disappearance caused them much more than grief? It was too much of a high price. "I'm going to miss this place." Tails said. "Master Kavar taught me a whole lot of stuff. I would hate to put all that to waste." Rouge folded her arms and leaned on the hull. "Well, I get a feeling that we all might be tested soon enough."

"_Final boarding call for the UNSC_ Phoenix! _All crewmembers must be aboard in five minutes. That is all_." Tails supervised his jet being put into the hold. An F-29 pilot flew the plane into the space and transformed it into its walker variant. The young man had no experience in this type of aircraft and almost accidently crashed it into the Ebon Hawk with the jets still active. He got it under control and parked it next to the Boomer. The 35 ton, 30 foot Mech was almost twice the size of the Tornado. "Now that you have it under control, I want you to get out of the cockpit, walk away and _don't go near it again_, got it?"

The Chancellor himself watched as the two ships disappeared into the sky. He unfortunately didn't have time to meet with the Captain of the ship but he felt that they had urgent business to attend to. He stood with the senators until they were nothing but tiny dots mixed in with the air traffic. "Safe travels." He whispered to the wind.

Coruscant fell behind them. There was no time to sightsee as time was of the essence. With her compliment of crew, the twin ships kept their distance. The commander of the Acorn was actually Lieutenant Kylie West who was promoted to Commander during the two years absence. She was also the one who controlled her main defenses. She was a crack shot too. About five months ago, she had successfully taken out three pirate vessels as large as her vessel was. Nobody screwed with her.

To replace Kylie was a human Lieutenant named Gev Morrison. Gev was an accomplished TAC officer coming out of OCS. He had served three tours on three separate ships. However, the young man had trouble with alcohol in the past, getting busted down from a Lieutenant Commander to a Lieutenant JG. He was still the best shot in the bridge.

"Sir, Commander West is requesting permission to speak with you, sir." Gerrard Briggs said noting the message. "Patch her through." Perry said nodding. Her hologram appeared on his arm rest. She wore a uniform not dissimilar to his own. "_Sir, my crew reports green on all systems. We are ready to make the jump when you are_." Perry nodded and placed the cap on his head. "Steady as she goes, Commander. Keep two kilometers off our port hull zero by forty-five degrees." "Aye sir. Relaying orders zero by four five."

The Acorn spun over to her requested position. Alan Perry saw that her helmsman was showing off to the local airspace. Not only was it unprofessional, it was hazardous to other travelers. "Align ourselves with the coordinates." The Captain demanded. "Aye sir. Aligning now." Callows said. The Phoenix spun around its yaw and the Acorn followed suit. As soon as they got into place, both ships simultaneously departed into hyperspace.

"We're getting some help when we get to the Unknown Regions. As soon as we exit hyperspace, they'll find us." Kaiden said. "Who's 'they'?" Jolee asked. "Just some people we've asked to join the cause." "You never answered my question and who the hell are the 'friends' who built the ship?" "I can't tell you that. Captain's orders." Jolee huffed angrily. They were sitting in the mess hall along with other crew that were getting readjusted to being on a ship. Tails leaned forward on his elbows. "You know, I kind of wish we got on the Acorn. I wonder what was different." Kaiden said, "Not much. The only thing that stands out is an observation deck with beautiful 50 inch high window, 360 degree views all around! Eheh, technically non-regulation though."

Sally got up. "Where you headed, Sally-girl?" She hooked a duffel bag over her shoulder. "I'm going to go see Chris. They're supposed to be discharging him today." The other Mobians got up. "We'll go too." Tails said. Ryan nodded. "You guys go. I'll catch up. I don't think I've had a pie this good in years!" Rouge smiled. "Ryan, you may be pudgy, but I'll still love you." "Atta girl, way to accept me for who I am." She giggled and clapped his shoulder. Kaiden also shooed them off.

"Greeting: Mistress I am glad to see that you have finished your consumption rituals. Would you like to see the Captain?" "Please." Sally said. "How's he doing?" "Quite well, actually." HK-24 responded. "The doctors report that he regained consciousness at 0717 Greenwich Mean Time. What is Greenwich exactly?" "It's not important, 24." "Affirmative: I believe I understand."

The LC showed them in. There were much more occupied tanks. Chris was all the way in the corner next to the window. The Orderly was checking on him interestedly, admiring the human's physique. The Captain hadn't noticed them and was talking to the Mobian next to him. As soon as the anthro spotted the Princess he opaqued the glass. Sally scoffed. "Jeez, relax kid."

"Afternoon ladies and gentlemen." Chris said. "And before you say anything, yes I am totally naked not that it matters as 75 percent of you have seen me naked for one reason on another." This got a couple laughs from the group and other patients. Chris had a healthy reputation for making an ass of himself when he wanted to. "For the 25 who haven't, enjoy and comment." Bunnie blushed and looked away. Rouge's ears actually twitched upwards. "How are you feeling?" Sally asked. "I can see why you liked it here. It's soothing, but DAMN it's boring." She smiled. "Yeah that happens sometimes. I hope you've been keeping yourself busy." "Yeah, I never get tired of bobbing up and down, blowing bubbles from my mask and sleeping. I'm good at that."

"When do they let you out?" "Any time now. Are we in the pipe?" The 'pipe' referred to the UNSC's unofficial designation of Hyperspace since it seemed as if they were in a tunnel or a pipe as the namesake suggested. "Yeah, we've been in for around twenty five minutes?" She asked. The others shrugged and nodded their heads. "Twenty five ish minutes." "Alright. Did you figure out where we're slipping out?" Tails shook his head. "Not a damn clue. Republic star charts have never covered that far and the farther back I search, the worse it gets so…yeah, no clue."

Rouge asked Tails, "Is there any other sort of chart you can check?" "Well, if I had my hands on a Sith star chart maybe but what are the odds of us getting one of those?" "Tails, whenever you say that, you scare the shit out of me." "Query: Why do you say that with a tone of worry, Master?" "Well, it seems that our words are cursed. Whenever we say something like that, the exact opposite seems to happen." "Musing: It appears that you seem to have pessimistic mindsets. Whenever you think something horrible is bound to happen, shockingly enough, it does." HK-24 determined "What are you saying? Are we looking for trouble?" Johnson asked.

"Rebuttal: I never stated that, Master. However at the same time, my behavior core is presenting reason to support that hypothesis." "I'm not arguing with a tin can." Johnson said. "Statement: Master you injure me! Prejudice hurts my feelings you know." "That's enough. You two are breaking the seriousness of our situation. With the map in Eggman's hands, we can only hope that he hasn't put together where the Emerald is. I wouldn't put it past Malak either to not check within Sith holocrons for connections." Tails nodded. "I agree. Malak has many arms in Sith teachings. Come to think of it, I think he may already know where it is, he simply didn't think it was too powerful." "Stop saying that!" Rouge begged.

The _Phoenix_ and _Acorn_ emerged from Hyperspace a day or two later. The space outside was much different than the sky that was closer to the galactic core. It was much different. A golden nebula was smeared across the night with several stars shining in its gaseous depths. Close by, there was a shining yellow-orange star that radiated warmth and light. Close inspection would reveal that there were two planets orbiting the star with one being more than five times that of Jupiter. The other seemed slightly smaller than Earth.

"Status report. Where are we?" Perry asked getting out of his chair to march around the bridge. "Analyzing sir. Wait one." Callows said sending out signals and analyzing the distance between their position and the galactic core. "We are well into the Unknown Regions sir. Scans determine we are approximately 50, 421 light years from the galactic core, give or take a couple hundred parsecs. They were long gone from Republic space. "Alright. Do a thorough scan of the system. See if there's an ancient space station or a power surge from any of those worlds. Watch out for Saul. I don't think he knows we're around here but I don't want to chance it." "Yes sir."

The crew had been given free time for a little while wile evaluation took place, specifically the Marines. Some spent most of their time in the bar getting used to being back on their old ship. The Captain and his squad had different intentions. It was around midday that Chris received a message. It was from the _Acorn_. He answered his COM unit that was in his bunkroom. "Captain Vennettilli here." "_Captain, this is Commander Kylie West, UNSC _Acorn." "Yes, ma'am. What can I do?" "_Actually I was hoping to reach the Princess_." "I can pass on the message, ma'am." "_Actually this indirectly refers to you as well. You are quite new to seeing our new frigate. I would be honored if your team was to join us for a little tour of the ship_." Chris half-smiled. It wasn't every day that you were asked by a commanding officer to board his or her ship. "We accept your invitation Commander." Chris said. "_Very well. When can we expect you_?" "Best guess, commander? Thirty minutes at least." "_Thirty minutes it is, Captain. I'll have the clamp ready for you by then. Your Pelican will have to dock externally. It's not a big ship_." "Understood Commander."

Chris spent 20 of those thirty minutes looking for his teammates. They were scattered throughout the ship but he knew where to look. Tails was down in the launch bay of the Phoenix tinkering on the Ebon Hawk. HK-24 was providing assistance by explaining about the ship's class. "Statement: Young Master, a _Dynamic_-Class freighter has reflective hull platings, extensive point defense weaponry and a Class 3.0 Hyperdrive." "3.0?! What is this, the Freeway?" "Confused Query: Urm...I don't think I understand." "Inside joke, 24. I don't want Freeway, I want the goddamned _Autobahn_. What will it take to spruce up this baby's hyperdrive?" "Theory: You could fashion a device using some of the technology in this ship to increase the speed of the hyperdrive. Your intelligence in the matter could be quite useful." "Here comes the Captain." Tails said.

"What's going on, Chris?" "Pack up and get moving. Commander West asked us if we wanted to go next door." "And you agreed?" "You bet I did. I want to see what this puppy can do!" "Alright." He said wiping the grease off his hands. "I'll be there in a minute. You coming with, 24?" "Hesitant Answer: If you insist, Master." "What's wrong?" "Well, I don't really like to talk about it but...I deplore space travel quite strongly." That made Tails raise an eyebrow. "That's interesting. A droid who doesn't like space travel. I thought you didn't care." "Well, regardless I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone."

Sally, Bunnie and the Master Chief were all in the ship's dojo sparring with weapons and meditating. Bunnie was fighting the Spartan. In the corner, Chris could see the Chief's new suit leaning in the corner. He recognized it as the current generation of MJOLNIR armor. "Marines, atten-_shun_!" The Captain barked. At once, they all dropped what they were doing and stood at attention. Saluted snapped and Vennettilli nodded. "Very good. At ease." Hands dropped.

"Master Chief, how are you feeling? Your new suit serving you well?" "Sir, yes sir. I've never felt better in it. Much better than the Mark VI." "Very good. Now all of you will know that we've been invited to go over to the _Acorn_ on the request of Commander West. You are to meet in the launch bay ASAP for a Pelican to take us over." "Yes sir!" they all said and filed out. "Master Chief, if I may?" "Of course, sir." "Where's Cortana, Spartan?" "On the bridge. She and the ship's AI are configuring. Captain Perry thinks that we can optimize the ship's preformance or send her over to the _Acorn_ to provide assistance." "I see. OK Chief, get moving." "Yes sir, thank you sir."

Ryan and Kaiden were down in the firing range. As usual Percy was pumping rounds from every weapon that was available to him. There was so much smoke in the room that the fans couldn't filter all of it out in time. He sent a Marine to the medsuite because of blown ear drums and was threatened to be kicked out five times. It was the Captain who saved his ass on that one.

They entered the range and instantly spotted Ryan hefting his tademark AIE-486H firing full auto. They tried calling his name but the noise of hot gas was blinding him. Finally they decided to just grab him around the collar and drag him protesting out into the hall.

The only ones who refused to go were Rouge and Jolee. Rouge just recently took a shower and said that she had a report to finish up for ONI. She shut the door in their face when Ryan pointed out how pointless it was to write a report when nobody was going to recieve it, plus he made a comment that was never to be repeated about her shower. "I wonder how much longer you're going to keep her for?" Sally said under her breath.

The other person who refused to come was Jolee. He had a much more solid reason. He was in the ship's dojo teaching other Marines and Navy personnel. When Chris saw Corporal Claire Poisson again he realized that he was instructing the Psy Ops Division. He then made connections that Bindo was teaching them about the Jedi training methods. It gave the Captain pleasant thoughts to think that there would eventually be Jedi under the UNSC banner. "I would like to come but my students come first sonny. I know you understand, right?" "I get you Jolee. Make sure they don't kill themselves."

The Pelican Omega 321 was fully repaired by this time and was used to ferry the guys to the other vessel. Flight Officer Gavin "Suicide" Bridge was the man to get them there. The Princess naturally requested that she take copilot since she loved everything about flying, even in space. "You know the ins and outs of spaceflight, Highness?" Bridge asked, himself a veteren on 120 combat missions during his 30-odd years in military service. "Definetly. You're going to want to activate your belly jets and retract the landing gear?" "Correct. Next?" "Next you'll want to bring the dropship a healthy 5 meters off the ground and increase at 60 kilometers an hour before heading full burn when you exit the bay." "Whoa..." Bridge said, impressed. "I've been around Pelicans before Flight Officer. Just need to treat her right." She said tapping the dash.

Bridge raised the Pelican off the ground until the altimeter showed four meters. However, this seemed to fuel the squirrel's smugness. Chris and his team stood aft in the troop bay. They were knocking knees just to pass time while Bridge got them set up. Suddenly, they jerked to the right meaning that they were now on the move. There was a slight moment of freefall but that disappeared when the mini gravity generator kicked in. "Ladies and gentlemen, we will be docking with the Acorn in approximately 7 minutes. Get comfortable until then."

Sally got unrestricted view of the space out here. In the distance, the Super-Jupiter planet was illuminated by the system star. The Princess could just make out a beautiful set of rings around it, glowing slightly. She unhooked NICOLE from her belt and used the built in camera to snap a photo. "_That's a keeper. Why don't we make that our Christmas card_?" Bridge smiled slightly at the AI's humor. "Sorry, she has little quirks in her programming." Sally apologized. "No need. You realize how often we get an AI with a bona fide personality and not a deadpan voiceover? Vegas Odds."

The Pelican did a little roll which gave a cool view from the portholes. The gigantic gas planet dominated the sky with it's blue sheen. A storm five times the size of Earth dominated the lower arbitrary hemisphere. Even from this distance of over 5,400,712 kilometers, lightning strikes were easily visible. The _Acorn_ grew from a tiny dot to a much larger ship. The 200 meter vessel was a little less than half the size of the _Phoenix_ but nevertheless boasted a couple Hellcats for defense. She had an angular but elegant style typical of Mobian/Human hybrids. The bold lettering _Acorn_ stood out with her hull classification FFG-3216. "That's the year I was born." Sally said breathlessly. "Yeah. They missed you Princess. A handful of us humans on board but mainly Mobians. I'm taking us in, hang on."

"_Acorn_ this is Omega 321. Requesting permission to dock, over." "_Docking permission accepted Omega 321. Put her down on Pad 2. She'll be illuminated for you_." "Thanks a lot. Omega 321 out." There was a blue strobing light ahead. On closer inspection it was actually an airlock that had the number 2 spray-painted onto it. Bridge aligned the Pelican so it matched the _Acorn_'s velocity and inertia. He carefully set down and popped the hatch on the docking tube.

In the troop bay, a hatch cycled open in the center of the dropship and gravity cut out. Everyone yelped in surprise as the slightest motion sent them spinning. "I've never seen a hatch like that before." Miles said using his tails to propel him in freefall. "They're used mainly to dock with ships smaller than a Prowler. Not very stealthy to have a dropship stand out against an ablative hull." Chris said. "We go alphabetically. Kaiden, this may sound silly but I don't even know your last name." "I come from the Mandalorian clan Ordo. Kaiden Ordo's my name."

They all climbed through the bridge in freefall. Each one of them pulled through until they emerged and tumbled from the tube. "First time through the tube?" a voice asked. All of them stood to attention as they recognized the figure as Commander West. The three golden bars and a single star said it all. "Ma'am. Reporting as ordered, ma'am!" The Captain said saluting. West smiled but looked at the Princess. "It's good to see you again, Highness." "Good to be back, Commander. Well let's get this show on the road."

The _Acorn_ would qualify as the smallest ship ever designed for combat. Actually her main weapon was speed and discretion. Since she was 200 meters long, she was _fast_. Her armament was nothing to laugh at either. The frigate had top of the line weaponry with some indigenous tech sprinkled on top.

There were MAC cannons there that fired a different type of round. The usual MAC slug was a cigar-shaped bar of Depleted Uranium that hurtled at 9/10ths the speed of light. These _slugs_ if they could be called that were cannonball-shaped projectiles that holed ships. Also interesting since the gun was smaller, less time between shots occurred. A rotating mechanism allowed another round to be loaded while another fired. All in total, there were four new MACs. Combinations of Archer missiles and proton torpedoes were scattered throughout the firing bay. Technicians of both species were lifting them into firing tubes. As usual, there were point defense railguns and even pulse lasers. The ship may have been half the length of one, but she could put up as good a fight as a destroyer.

Kylie West's ears twitched happily. "I remember when we picked this baby up from Kuat, we were ambushed by pirates just outside the system. Perry had the _Phoenix_ of on a reconnaissance run so we were pretty much on our own. We held off three ships almost twice our size and we didn't even have a _scratch_ on the hull! They figured they'd had enough of us and jumped out of system. T'was a good day indeed." "Statement: I find the _Acorn_'s arsenal to be quite pleasing, Master. Perhaps we can utilize it in combat? Can I blast the Sith for you?" HK-24 asked with his vocabulator warbling in excitement. "We'll see." Chris said back.

The Navigation room was located dead center in the boat with a holographic galaxy map that was based on existing technology in the ship. It was built entirely by the Earth humans though as they all noticed the UNSC aesthetics. A holographic map of the galaxy was about the size of a small car and was eerily translucent. "Accurate within 57 parsecs, not that we've ever used it much." West said with a chuckle. The map operator zoomed in on their position. Just like the map on the _Phoenix_ showed, they were nowhere special, save for the lonely star system they were near.

"Can you scan for other planet out here?" Kaiden asked. "Occasionally, Mandalorian scouts ventured into the reaches of unknown space for adventure and honor. Sadly, not many have returned." The operator wheeled around at this question. His tail was twitching excitedly to talk about the subject. "We've started searches ever since we jumped in. So far, all we've found was this system. We're supposed to get probes back within the next forty-five minutes though." Then, he whirled back to continue scanning. Commander West then said, "Do you want to see what the _Acorn_ is famous for?"

It was beautiful on the dorsal hull of the ship; there was a thirty-foot room that had 12-inch thick windows all around. The golden nebula showed through and gave the best sight they could have ever asked for. This was the observation dome. Tables and chairs were placed around while potted plants gave some atmosphere. "The _Acorn_ is proposed to be a private military/royal vessel by the senior crew and myself." West said bouncing on her heels excitedly. "The RSS _Immaculate_ also accomplishes that role but the fly in the ointment is that it's too damn big! The _Acorn_ wishes to accomplish that by ferrying diplomats and the Royal family. They'd have great views and great protection." Sally nodded her head. "Father would approve. One question though: What happens when you get in a firefight? I've seen bullets chew through foot-thick windows before."

West smiled. "I'll show you. Stand back behind the line, please." She ordered them all. The Marines got behind the black and yellow line when she slammed a button on the wall. Thick metal plates slammed over the windows in an instant but making minimal noise. There was a humming noise and red light filled the room. "Those plates close on the outside too; six inches thick on both. That humming you're hearing is a magnetic field generated just around the perimeter of the room. There's almost no risk of decompression in case the hull gets breached here. Ironically, it's the safest place on the ship. "This baby's got it all!" Rouge said. "She'll make a fine addition to the fleet!" "Glad you think so, Agent Rouge."

They were invited to stay for dinner as well. Perry was persuaded to keep them on the ship a bit longer. "Have you ever been in anything larger than a skirmish, Commander?" Chris asked in the Officer's club. "No we have not." Kylie said with her ears drooping slightly. "I've fought against the Sith though, so I know what to do, Chris. It's just that the _Acorn_ is a much smaller ship." "Judging from what's under the hood, I don't think you have anything to worry about." "I'm glad you think so. Heh, the last thing I want my first time on the job is to go and have my ship blown up. You know I have to accomplish two tasks at once? I have to fly and shoot! Just like the old fighter sims, huh?" "Yeah, but you're in space." "Fair point. What I'm trying to say though is that the job is just pressuring though."

"Who nominated you for the position then?" Chris asked in between bites of his meal. He had always assumed that West volunteered. "Perry did. He could have picked one of the Briggs brothers but no, he had to pick me." "Why?" Sally asked who too was in the lounge. "Well, I think he thought that a Mobian ship with a largely Mobian crew needs a Mobian captain. He just doesn't learn, does he? You know he's never been to Mobius before?" "No, I never knew that." The Captain said. "I think he's prejudiced against us. I was the only Mobian in that bridge crew and he shipped me over here when he could have taken one of the Briggs. They're more qualified with this job than I am. I'll do it…but that doesn't mean I'm happy with it."

Chris finished. He was sympathetic for the Commander. His inner good guy nudged to the front. "Commander, I'll have a talk with the Captain. Maybe I can work something out and have you transferred back." "Oh, I never said that. I just don't feel right for the _command_ position. Serving on a Mobian ship for me is an extreme act of patriotism!" "OK, I'll talk to Perry. Maybe he'll listen to me. No promises though, Commander." She nodded though. "Thank you, Captain."

"Do you think you can _really_ convince Perry to change Kylie's position?" Sally asked when they exited the O-Club. "Hey, I said no promises. Let's round up the guys before the captain has our ass in a sling."

It turned out that they were all in the mess hall fraternizing with the rest of the crew. Tails, Rouge and Bunnie were happy to be among brethren again. If Chris' eyes weren't deceiving him, he spotted Kaiden talking to a group of females predominantly Mobian _with one foot on the table_. "Mandalorian! Down, boy!" Chris called. Ordo reeled back at once and saluted smartly, but he winked at the ladies. "This is getting _way_ too weird." Chris said. "We need to get off this ship before us pinkies start going native in more than one way." "Oh, what's wrong with that?" "I'm different. I'm probably crazy for jumping under the covers with you. Ryan I can forgive, but _Kaiden_ is an honor bound creature! How did they break him down?"

He pushed that thought out of his mind. "Marines of the 182nd Division, 5th Battalion! Front and center!" They all grouped in front of the Captain and saluted. "Sergeant Johnson, how were my men?" "Sir, they couldn't have been better. I guess it was a more familiar atmosphere. Are we pulling out, sir?" "Yes we are." "Alright maggots! Haul ass! Move OUT!" HK-24 was last to move but he paused. "Statement: Master, I don't know if this is relevant to our current situation but I am detecting a high amount of radiation against the background levels originating about a few light years away from here. I tapped into the ship's scanner array for this task of course."

"Tails!" "Yeah, sir?" "Do Chaos Emeralds emit radiation?" "Yeah. Beta and Gamma rays. Why?" "It looks like we have a target."

"Bridge. Get us out of here, on the double!" Chris said climbing back into the Pelican. Bridge had fallen asleep at the controls with his visor draped over his eyes. He also polarized the canopy so no wandering eyes could peek in. However, when the Marines climbed back into the dropship and sealed the hatch, the Flight Officer was all business. "Right? Right! Alright, buckle up ladies and gentlemen! How was your little excursion?" "Peachy." Sally said and the Marines scoffed.

The Pelican detached and sped through space. The ships were only ten kilometers distant so it wasn't a long trip. The _Phoenix _was barely a speck in the distance and they only made her out by the sun reflecting off her hull. "OK, kids. Approaching vector locked in. Flight Tower this is Suicide, requesting permission to dock, over." "_Docking permission granted Suicide. Take her in through Door 4. We'll leave the light on for you_. _Over and out._"

The _Phoenix_ activated holographic landing lights which guided slow moving ships, like dropcraft and shuttles into hangers and none of this 'coming in hot' stuff. Flight Officer Bridge guided Omega 321 into the launch bay. A marshal waved his light sticks backwards telling Bridge to keep edging forward. The nacelles tilted upwards pushing them to the deck. The marshal told the pilot to cut his engines before giving him thumbs up. "Welcome home everyone!" "Thanks a lot, Bridge." The Captain said clapping him on the shoulder. Satisfied, Suicide unclipped his safety harness to finish his rotation.

"HK-24 discovered background radiation _way_ higher than the system's standard approximately 3.22 light years away, give or take a few AUs or so." Tails said. "Addendum: It should be known that that approximation does not account for elevation. I was quite specific in my calculations. The radiation emits from a satellite body 3.22 light years away bearing fifty seven degrees by seventy eight degrees." "Callows?" Perry asked. "Hang on, sir. That puts our signal…somewhere around here."

A galactic map appeared on main screen holographically. The map zoomed in on the arm they were in and pinpointed the location in the X, Y and Z axes. "That's not even a full day's trip by Slipspace." Perry said. "How fast can we get there with Hyperspace?" "Five hours." "Hot damn." The Captain said bouncing in his seat. "Get us there." "Aye, sir. Attention _Acorn_, this is _Phoenix_. We are sending you jump coordinates. Do you copy?" "_I copy you_ Phoenix_. We'll be ready for you in a second._" That stirred Chris' memory.

"Captain I was hoping to talk to you for a moment." "Hmm?" Perry said noticing Vennettilli. "I wanted to talk to you about Commander West." "What about it?" "She asked me to talk to you, sir." Perry's brow furrowed. "What for? We can talk over the COM, can't we?" "I don't think she feels comfortable about this. She asked me to talk to you about a possible reassignment."

That raised an eyebrow. "A reassignment? To where?" Chris said, "Well, she does still want to remain aboard the _Acorn_ for patriotic reasons but she doesn't feel ready for the command position, sir." "That doesn't make sense. I thought she would make a great leader." "Evidently she doesn't share that opinion. She believes one of the Briggs would be better candidates."

Perry exhaled and took the cap off his head. He looked at the Briggs twins and said after biting his lip, "I'll have to think about it, Captain. I am the commanding officer of this group but…I…I'll think about it." "And sir? I don't mean to pry but West mentioned you've never been to Mobius." "She'd be right. I've never had the time to go. Sure, call me xenophobic towards those furries but I'd go willingly." Despite his honest words, the Mobians in his squad flinched. "Sir, _Anthros_." "What? Oh right, sorry!" "_Sir, we are ready to make the jump. Awaiting your command_." The navigator on the _Acorn _said. "Let's burn sky, people!" "_Confirmed. Lightspeed engaged_." The outside stars streaked in fiery lines and a blue tunnel appeared. "ETA five hours thirty six minutes and counting sir." Callows said. "Now, I've already got a plan for this. Three teams go in via cargo drop. Captain Vennettilli, your team goes in first." Chris nodded. "Aye, Captain." The others stood to.

"Second squad is Captain Banks and his squad of Helljumpers. He's looking to repay the favor you did on Tatooine, son." "I'm happy to be working with Tyrell again, sir." "Good. The third team we added in at the last moment. The 5th Psy Ops Division will be deployed as well. Jolee did a good job training them and thanks to Miles Prower and one Mobian Sergeant named Fredric Darniér, we have a chance with some makeshift laser swords. I believe you've met Mr. Dariniér, Captain?" "I have. Nice kid."

"Any questions? Any at all? This is your last chance." Nothing came up. "Very well then. Captain, take your men and suit up. This is the big one. I doubt that we're going to walk away from this unscathed." He held out his hand. The Human shook it. "Good luck, and Godspeed, Marine. To all of you as well." Perry said. The squad saluted. Chris saluted finally and said, "Marines! Let's go, double time! This is it! We're going home soon!"


	26. Chapter 25: The Road Less Travelled

Chapter 25: The Road Less Traveled

January 16th, 3238, 1414 hours

Unknown Regions

Unknown Planet

"Status report, Cortana." Perry said sitting forward in his command chair. "Hull integrity is at maximum, Captain. Engines report green. Major Faustus won't be bugging us today." "Great. I'm getting tired of him chewing me out. I wonder whose ship it is really." Bianca stood silent but Cortana let out a small giggle. The other AI scowled in slight disgust. Bianca cleared her non-existent throat and said, "Hyperspace disengaging, Captain."

The stars streaked back into view and the displays vibrated for a second. In front of them were five orbs. One being a huge planet roughly twice the size of Earth. There were three moons orbiting it, all of them dead, airless rocks drifting around their parent planet. The last was the orange sun blazing in the night bathing the two ships in a nice warm glow. "Captain, I have data on the system." Cortana said. "Show me." "Aye sir. Take a look at this."

The screen opposite to them flared on. Their current position was pointed out in the galactic map, which was a big space of nothingness. Their tiny system was visible. "The star is approximately one and a half times the size of Sol. This planet is the only one in the system and is dead center inside the habitable ring." Perry stroked his chin as he made a mental note of it. "How centered?" "_Dead_ centered." "Give me some data on the planet." Bianca interrupted. "I believe I can be of some assistance. The planet is about twice the diameter of Earth. It appears to have mainly a desert climate but has some forests and water in the Polar Regions. Atmospheric levels are…oh my…" "What?!" Cortana and the Captain asked at once.

"The atmospheric levels just don't fit. I'm getting reports of a 21 percent Oxygen, 70 percent Nitrogen and 9 percent trace…that doesn't make any sense according to the geography of the planet! This is nearly _identical_ to Earth's composition." "I have a bad feeling about this. Tell the teams that their mission is on and to report to the launch bays in fifteen minutes." "Yes Captain." Bianca said as she disappeared. Cortana noticed her leave. "Captain, I've noticed that Bianca isn't taking too kindly to my presence." "She's just a little jealous. She's a "dumb" AI, Cortana. She feels insulted that you're aboard. You're a "smart" AI even by today's standards. If ONI ever got their hands on you you'd be in a lot of trouble."

"_Attention, All personnel. All teams assigned to Operation: Planetfall please report to the launch bays. That is all_." The intercom said. Captain Vennettilli clicked the safety on his weapon. He was currently in the firing range trying to hone his skills. He was still below in the leaderboards and the targets always moved from side to side. He couldn't use his Bullet Time either which he felt was something of an insult. Ryan and Kaiden were also in the range with him. Kaiden's Mandalorian friends were up against the wall in the same ceremonial Neo-Crusader armor they wore when they first met. Come to think of it, he never got to see their faces.

"Alright gentlemen. Were moving out. Just need to locate the others." He tapped the COM earpiece he wore. "Johnson, come in, over." "_Here, Captain. Don't worry we're all right. We'll meet you in the launch bays. I'll get them there if I have to boot them the rest of the way._" "Take it easy on them, Sarge." "_Roger. Out_."

The launch bay had a ridiculous amount of people in it. Captain Tyrell Banks of the ODSTs was there with his platoon, a mountain of a man. Tyrell had bulked up since Chris had last met him and his muscles started to show through his armor. "Banks. Good to see you again." "Likewise, Captain." Tyrell said shaking hands. The Marine kept in a silent scream as Banks crushed his hand in a shake. Just barely. "Looking forward to working with you again on this mission." "Yeah, me too. What's going on here?"

Banks shrugged. His visor flashed for a second. "Beats me. All my men were told was that we were going on this top secret assignment and orders would be given to us when we landed. I guess it's that planet below us." The Captain nodded. Tails' curiosity kicked in and he asked, "How are we getting down? Pelican?" "Heh, hell no. Not you anyway. We're Helljumpers! There's only one way we're going. What's that, boys and girls?" his whole squad roared out, "WE GO FEET FIRST, SIR!" "Damn right you do!" Banks said. Just then, a Pelican dropped from the upper gantries of the launch bays

"OK, so it's Pelican." Sally reasoned. Tyrell scoffed. "I don't think so, Princess. That Pelican is for the 5th Psy Ops division." At those words, the launch bay doors opened and a group of heavily armed Marines double-timed it into the room. They all wore mirrored helmets and each had a small hilt-like object clipped on their belts. "Come on! Let's haul ass, Marines. Get in that bird, move, move, _move_! Come on, ladies I want to see a hustle!" The company commander barked. "So how are we getting down?" Tyrell folded his arms. "Anybody know what an airdrop is?" Ryan raised his hand. "Corporal? Care to elaborate?"

'Sure…an airdrop is a centuries old technique of dropping a vehicle, object or soldier out of a moving aircraft or spacecraft and they fall towards the ground usually with parachute assist or retro rockets." "WHAT?! We're going to _free-fall_? I thought that was _your_ guys job!" Chris said now slightly worried. Three troop warthogs pulled up next to them. The lead driver shut down the engines and said, "Your chariot awaits, sir." With a slight laugh.

Chris turned back to Banks whom he was imagining was smiling behind the visor. "No way, no how. Not going to do it." Sally's ears twitched and she ran up to the vehicle. "Sounds like fun." She said with a smile. "Don't tell me you're scared, Captain." "I'm not scared." He lied through his teeth. The others knew it too. The captain was scared senseless. He was always scared of dropping be it from an HEV or from a Pelican. An airdrop however, was crossing that sacred line every man had. _Oh but she got you. She's going to break you, Chris. You're now her bitch_. Tails climbed into the back. "Yeah, I mean, what's the worst that can happen? Parachute doesn't open and backup activates. This is 3238. Nobody dies from these things anymore. Plus, there's nobody on the ground to shoot us." "Stop _saying_ that." Ryan hissed. "Whenever someone says that, bad shit happens to us. Coincidence? I don't think so." Jolee huffed. "What ever happens down there is the will of the Force, it's already been carved in stone. Now I don't know if this drop will be good for the old ticker." "Mission time is ticking, no time for arguing! Erm…everyone into the jeeps!"

The Master Chief slotted himself into the Captain's passenger seat. Chris felt the warthog tilt in its weight. The Spartan sat silent in his MJOLNIR Mark X armor staring into space. Or was he looking at the captain? He couldn't tell. Outside, the Princess took the second hog and Johnson took the third. In the back of his vehicle, HK-24, Kaiden and his Mandalorian friends sat. His grip on the steering wheel tightened and apprehension filled the air. "Observation: Master, your breathing patterns are fluctuating. Are you nervous?" "I don't know, 24. I mean, it's just a fifty thousand foot drop into a sheer desert at terminal velocity and all I have to rely on is a parachute? Huh? Where does that fall under?" "Answer: Sarcastic Response." "Damn straight!"

The Master Chief breathed. No, it was more of a rasp. Whatever it was, it made the captain jump an inch from his seat. "When Earth was under siege in 2552, I volunteered to return a Covenant bomb to its owner. I opened up a launch bay and was sucked into space using Earth's gravity to pull me towards the ship. I fell over a hundred thousand feet through vacuum and infiltrated a Covenant ship, detonated the bomb and flew out of there. This is nothing compared to that. You can do it." Chris wasn't convinced. "Chief, you have a super suit! I just have this armor." "Just relax. Fear is a gateway to death. So, we stop our fear." There was a slight pause. "Yes, sir." Chris responded. "Everyone else get that?" "_Yes sir_." "_Gotcha_." "_Loud and clear, sir_." "Good."

"_Attention all personnel. Airdrop to commence in forty-five seconds. Please clear the drop route._" Bianca said over the COM system. "_Sir, just a question_." Johnson asked. "Shoot." "_Why are we being dropped? The_ Phoenix_ can just land on the planet, right_?" "Don't ask me, ask Perry." Chris said clicking his seat belt closed. He steered his hog to the front of the bay where a row of blinking yellow lights winked. This was usually the route jets would launch from. The bulkhead opened up and there was a rush of air. The destroyer had positioned herself in the atmosphere of the planet. There was a bright blue sky beckoning them outward. "Well, here we go." The Captain breathed. "_ODSTs are away. Pelicans in final launch checks. Warthogs deploy in five, four, three, two, one, zero_."

The Marines gunned it, slamming their boots into the acceleration pedal. Each hog squealed as nanocarbon touched metal. The open door rushed to meet them. "I don't get paid enough to do this." Vennettilli said just as the jeep dove out of the bay.

The feeling was comparable to his first ride in an HEV. His stomach was trying to climb up his esophagus. Before he knew it, the vehicle was pointing nearly straight down at a desert floor. He heard over the radio cries of shock and delight as the other cars followed suit. The Master Chief simply held onto the handhold over his head. "Check in. How's everyone doing?" Chris asked barely holding his fear in. "_This is Sal. We're doing pretty well! Rouge isn't looking too hot though._" "_Johnson here. Reading you five by five. Situation normal!_" A wind hit them and made the warthog spin in a spiral pattern. "_Sally to Chris. Clean up your descent, you're tumbling a little_." "We'll get it fixed up." Chris said back. "Everyone, shift your weight. Balance this baby out!"

The Chief supplied most of the weight as the warthog stabilized. The Captain nearly lost his hat in the process. "Alright, back on track. How long are we away from chute deployment?" "_We're in the green now, Captain_." NICOLE said. "Good copy. Pulling rip cord now." He said pulling a red loop on the roof of the jeep. Suddenly, he was jerked upward as the main chute deployed. "Easy, sir!" Kaiden said as he grunted in the sudden deceleration. "Hang on to your helmets, Mandalorians. We're going down nice and smooth now." "_This is Johnson, chute deployment is green, we are clear, over_." "Copy that, Sergeant. Sally. What's your 20, over?" "_Just about to pull the ripcord now…what the hell_?!"

"Princess, we have a problem!" Ryan said as he tugged the ripcord. "What the hell?!" she said surprised. "Main chute's deployed but we're not getting full sails!" Suddenly, there was a ripping noise and the vehicle was flipping. The Marines in the back started to scream as the warthog flipped end over end. A quick check above them confirmed. The world was flipping in every direction with a large patch of canvas appearing every now and then in the sky. Sally's lip quivered. "Main chute has detached! Repeat, main chute has detached!" "_Copy that, Princess. Activate secondary!_" The Captain's voice was stitched with worry. No doubt the two other warthogs were watching the tumble. "Sal! Secondary isn't responding!" "Bull_SHIT_!" In the back, Rouge was praying quietly.

"_Ryan…if I remember the schematics correctly there's a tertiary system. Not chutes, but balloons. Real old tech_." "Tails said. "Yeah? What are you saying, Tails?" "_You need to activate that system, Ryan. It's located…on the outside, five inches behind you_." "Well why in the _hell_ is it on the outside?" "_Excuse me but I don't think anybody would have expected both Primary and Secondary chutes to fail! Pull the damn switch, Percy!_" "ALRIGHT! I don't need a flying rat to tell me how to do my job!" Ryan said unclipping his seatbelt. He reached into his bag pulling out a length of rope. Ryan attached it around his belt and the other end around the handhold. He popped the seal on the door and opened it.

At once, rushing air swept through the cabin sucking out any loose debris. Sally's fur stood on end as the cold air cycled through. "_Careful, you're going to be dipping into the red zone soon!_" "Roger, Captain." The princess said tapping her earpiece. Ryan leaned out and looked down, or up, or…down. The world was flipping, tumbling and spinning in every conceivable direction. That meant his centrifugal forces would be _so_ out of whack. He could be thrown off like a cowboy off a bucking bronco. Searching for a handhold, he pulled himself onto the roof of the hog. The jeep hit a turbulent wind and was thrown around. Ryan screamed as he struggled to hang on, his fingers grasping at the little indents. He held on though and steadied himself. He saw the red ripcord marked '**TERTIERY FREE-FALL SYSTEM: PULL IN CASE OF EXTREME EMERGENCY**'. "Like hell it is." Ryan said but his voice was carried away in the wind. "_Ryan, it's Chris. Your altimeters are screaming red! Impact in fifteen seconds!_" Percy's fingers grasped around the cord. "Pull it, Corporal! That's an order!" Sally screamed, her voice cracking slightly." With all his might, he pulled.

Popping sounds were heard as he made his way back into the cab. All around him, flesh colored balloons inflated rapidly until there was nothing but spherical airbags. A few seconds later, there was a jarring impact and everyone in the warthog exhaled sharply. They rolled around a little until finally they stopped and were right side up. The airbags deflated and they were in the middle of the desert with sand dunes piling up hundreds of feet. "We did it!" Sally said. She wrapped her arms around Ryan and pecked him on the cheek. "Good work!" "Oh, it was nothing, just saving our lives and all." Chris interrupted them. "_Cut the chatter you two, me and Johnson are touching down in twenty seconds, make it look like you're busy when we arrive_." "Copy that, sir." The corporal said with a smile.

The second and third warthog touched down into the sand, the tires sinking only slightly in the ivory grains. "Hot damn! Looks like Clearwater Beach here, only there's no ocean." Johnson pointed out. "Yeah, you're right" Ryan nodded. "Vennettilli to _Phoenix_, repeat, this is Captain Vennettilli. Me and my team have touched down at…latitude 97, longitude 55, over." "_Good copy, Captain. We_ _are receiving your signal. Can you confirm your team is it optimal efficiency_, _over_?" "That's a 10-4, _Phoenix_. My team is fully…" he trailed off as he noticed Rouge heave noisily behind a rock. It didn't sound pleasant. "Uh…scratch that A-OK, _Phoenix_, we are optimal minus one: Agent Rouge." "_Ugh…Jesus. Copy that report, Captain. Give us a call when you need something. _Phoenix_ out_."

Just as soon as he disconnected from the ship, he received another COM message from the Helljumper squad that was sent in first. "This is Chris." "_Captain Vennettilli, this is Tyrell. How'd you fair on the drop_?" "Smooth, Banks. One of my men's chutes didn't deploy and we had to recover on tertiary." "_Tertiary?! Man, that's some shit luck you got there, man._" "What have you got for me, Banks?" "_We've landed fifty klicks due North North East of your current position. Turbulence is a bitch. It carried us farther than our intended drop site. We're scattered over the better part of a kilometer but we'll meet us soon. Sir, I think we've found something of interest._" "Well what is it?" "_I don't know. You have to see it. Bring the chick with you, maybe her or her computer can clear things up._" "Copy that, Tyrell, we'll be there in about an hour." "_Roger that. See you soon, sir._"

The warthogs jumped over sand dunes here and there roaring in protest as the soft white sands flew everywhere. Chris didn't have much experience in desert driving and thus suffered the most. "_Better catch up, cowboy. I'm leaving you in the dust_." Sally teased. "Shut _up_." He said through gritted teeth. He hated being showed up by her. Kaiden looked at the rolling dunes. "This world reminds me of my home planet, Ordo. It's quite similar to this one except that the ring of vegetation is around the equator. This one looks like it was flipped on its head!" Chris put the hog on cruise control and looked behind him. "Now, your friends; are they from Ordo as well?" "No." The one on the left said. This was the first time he had heard the other Mandalorians talk. "Well, I am but not my friend here. He's from Concord Dawn, another Mandalorian world, but less populated." "Interesting. How many worlds did the Mandalorians have?" "Before we lost you mean?" The other warrior asked. "Heh, hundreds. Maybe thousands. Not big-shot worlds mind you but smaller, less important worlds nobody would miss." "Observation: It would appear that those worlds that are quote 'not big shot worlds mind you but smaller, less important worlds that nobody would miss (he said that quote in the Mandalorian's voice)' are still under such Mandalorian control." "Like I said, worlds you wouldn't tend to miss."

At 1503 hours the Marines started to see the black dots of HEVs throughout the horizon. They were all over the place but some moving splotches were going left and right. They must have noticed them. The strange thing was that they were all clustered around this tree-trunk like thing. "_We'll be there in a few minutes, Captain._" NICOLE said. "Excellent. What's the temperature at?" "_110 Fahrenheit. Balmy_." "Damn it." Chris said pulling off his bulky combat armor. His T-shirt was soaked in perspiration at some points. The others seemed to follow suit. Even the Mandalorian code of honor couldn't keep them away from the blistering heat. He didn't care how many worlds they scorched. The Mandalorian code of honor didn't cover heat stroke.

The one from Ordo had short cut hair and a scar running down his face. The mane was quickly graying but the Captain could see that he hadn't lost his fighting spirit yet. The other one had brown hair, but was otherwise the same build as the first Neo-crusader. "Feel better?" Chris asked still looking over his shoulder. "Maybe. We don't usually take our armor off in a combat zone." "This isn't a combat zone yet." The Captain said looking back to the road.

Tyrell Banks stood up against his pod. He knew that something started to go a little funky as soon as he felt his pod hit solid metal when he landed. Naturally he assumed that it was the local bedrock that he hit, being as all the sand was on top. His thoughts were changed as soon as he got out of the pod. It was smooth. Too smooth for bedrock under millions of years of erosion. More like refined alloy. He was even more curious as soon as he wiped some sand off the metal and discovered a set of straight edged patterns. "Well look at that." He said with a smile behind his visor. He ordered his men to open up a line to Chris.

Now he was leaning against the HEV in full desert ODST camo. He was blending into the ambient surroundings almost as efficiently if he was using camopannels in his armor. "Captain Banks." Lieutenant Markhees, a canine with short brown hair. "We've got three M12s heading over the far dunes. Estimated 4 klicks distant. "Let's get this show on the road, El-tee." He said looking at the anthill-like structure next to him.

The warthogs turned off. The engine sounds died away and soon there was nothing but the wind scraping across the desert sands, the hot sun guiding them along the way. Chris noticed that one of the moons was pretty close to having an eclipse with it. _Come on, baby._ He thought to himself. _Just a little bit farther_. He said as if he could will the orbiting rock to move faster.

"Captain Banks." "Captain Vee." Banks said back in a new informal pronunciation he had never heard before. "Got a reason for calling us here or what?" "Oh we got a reason alright." "Sergeant! Yeah, furry, you." Sally shivered as the slur washed over her. She relaxed since he was a superior officer. _But I'm a princess first_. "Uh Tyrell, can I ask you not to use such language in front of my men?" Chris asked pulling his cap's brim over his head. "My boys don't mind." "Yeah, but your boys aren't royalty aren't they?" Banks stiffened for a second. The ODST remembered who was standing in front of him. "My apologies, highness." "All's forgiven, Helljumper. What do you need?" "Here, Follow me."

When I landed down here, right here, that's my pod; I hit what sounded like metal or rock. What I thought was that it was some bedrock or stratum or some kind of shit like that." "Let me guess, it wasn't meant to be?" "Correct. It was an alien metal. The impact blew most of the sand away in a fifteen-yard radius but there's some still here. Recognize these patterns?" He wiped away a fresh layer of sand. Somewhere, a desert creature howled that caused the ODSTs to raise their guns. The metal had straight edges in it. Some glowed luminous blue. There were other, circular-like patterns with arms jutting out of the sides and strategic gaps placed in them. Although she had never encountered them before in her lifetime, she knew a Forerunner ruin when she saw one.

Chris had come up beside her and so did Tails. "Forerunner." She said taking NICOLE off her holster. Tails' eyes darted from side to side trying to make this information fit. "Forerunners here? That doesn't make sense! That doesn't make sense at all. Unless…" Then he went silent. Some curious Marines asked, "What?!" a minute later he opened his mouth and said, "What if…purely speculative by the way…the Forerunners also had trans-universal travel capabilities? This may be why some Forerunners were never found. Their logs probably suggest this as not ALL of the remained in the Milky Way." "_That's a sound hypothesis Miles but there's not much evidence to prove that this is so._" NICOLE said. "Remind me again what we're looking at now?" "_I…um…point taken. I'll shut up now._" The anthro smiled in smugness.

"So what's this piece of work then?" Chris asked looking at what seemed to be a very wide tree trunk. "No tree could have lasted this long out here." "_Correct, Chris. You remember hearing the reports of the atmosphere being 21% Oxygen? That's far too high for a desert planet this close to the sun and with so little vegetation. My guess is that this is a piece of ancient terraformation equipment_." Her guess was confirmed when a gust of air was released into the sky. "So the two million dollar question is, what the hell are they keeping this planet alive for?" The Captain asked. "_Your guess is as good as mine, Chris. Although, I have a lead_." "Describe." "_Yes sir. I've accessed historical data regarding the Onyx Incident in 2552. Are you familiar?_" "Vaguely so. Could you explain it briefly?"

"_In 2552, the UNSC had a secret planet used for training. They codenamed this planet Onyx because of the unnaturally high deposits of said mineral. Now, many people thought that the planet was natural due to the foliage and mountains. In reality…_" "It was artificial, right?" Sally asked. "_Bingo, Sal. The entire underlying structure of the planet was made up of Forerunner drones called Sentinels. Hundreds of millions, some as big as houses._" Banks shifted his weight. "So, you're saying that this planet is made up of robots?" "_No not necessarily, Captain Banks._ _It can just have an artificial outer layer and a labyrinth of corridors stemming in all directions. Personally, I try not to think that way_." "For damned good reasons." Banks breathed.

"Gotta call this in." Chris said turning around and tapping his earpiece. "This is Captain Vennettilli calling _Phoenix_. Anybody copy, over?" "_This is Briggs. I copy you, captain, over._" "We've located some Forerunner ruins on the planet, Briggs. We need confirmation." "_Uh, hold on a second. I'm not qualified for this…_" There was silence for a second. "_This is Cortana. What can I do for you, Captain_?" "Cortana, I believe we've found some trace of Forerunners that inhabited or visited this planet."

Cortana was not alarmed but amused and interested. "_Is that so, Captain? Send me a picture and I'll try to analyze it._" "Yes ma'am. Chief. Get a shot of that." The Spartan nodded and merely looked at the patch of exposed metal. "_Just received it Analyzing…It appears that these markings around the outer edges of the symbol indicate that this was an outpost or a testing facility of some sort. I don't really like the sound of it._" "Do you have a designation for the planet?" "_Outpost 49. That would mean that there are other Forerunner sites like this. Here, in the Milky Way, Andromeda, I don't know. Looks like a warning. Cavefacio cunctum penetro, adoperti jaceo intro, si vosterum cogitati bona vel moestrus, id nihili cura, scientia interficio iste_. _Recognize it? Captain? I believe you are Italian in heritage?_" "Yeah, but I haven't spoken the stuff in years. This is Latin, a romantic language. What the hell is it doing here, on a Forerunner world no less?"

Sally tilted her head and studied what Cortana said. "Grammar's off." She noted. "_Yes, rules change in a hundred thousand plus years, princess._" Just then, a communication cut across the conversation.

"_This is Pelican Romeo 161 broadcasting to all UNSC ground forces. I and Pelican Golf 977 have breached the atmosphere. We have the Psy Ops Division in tow. Looking for a place to set down…Hey Mick, what's that over there?_" There was brief silence. "_This is Pelican Romeo-161, we have spotted a landing platform approximately a hundred kilometers Northwest from our current position. ETA is thirty minutes._" "Romeo, Vennettilli. We need pickup. I have ODSTs, three Hogs and a lot of Marines. I'm not going to be able to carry all them." "_Copy that. We will head right for you as soon as we drop off the Psy Ops._"

This was painful. There was a full hour of waiting before the Pelicans arrived. The ODSTs were apparently fine with being in the desert for prolonged periods of time but the mere mortals had to deal with the sun. The Warthogs were air conditioned but they wouldn't last long in the sun. Ryan gritted his teeth as he saw some Helljumpers pointing to him slumped in the passenger seat. "They're laughing at us, I know it." He said to Chris who was in the driver seat. "Those jackasses think everything's funny. For God's sake Ryan, they put themselves in tin cans! Literally! The outside is mostly made of aluminum!" "Yeah, but I just want to land a punch right between one's eyes, just to say I did. Then I can brag to women how a Helljumper knocked me on my ass." The two men chuckled.

Sally trudged up to them and saluted. "Sergeant, what's the report?" "I've done some more sweeping of the area. I've located old Sentinel dispersal routes. Long since shut down though. I guess whatever was in charge of this place just closed it up otherwise they'd get a hundred tons of sand down the chute." "Anything else on the planet?" The human asked. "Not a thing. I can probably do more if I had about a few years and heavy duty excavation material." "That won't be necessary. HK-24, you have a visual on the Pelicans?" "Answer: No Master I do not. The dropships are not here yet." "Keep watching the skies. Let me know." "Yes Captain."

Miles was fanning himself with his own tails in a helicopter pattern. "We're gonna die here aren't we?" he asked taking a swig of water from his canteen. "Relax Miles." Chris said in almost a bored way.

"Observation: Captain, I'm receiving data on three small ships closing in on us at high speeds. Two are fifty kilometers distant and one is coming down perpendicular to us. I believe they are the dropships." "Just what I wanted to hear." Chris said smiling. "Let's clear the area. Let these boys park." He ordered. The Helljumpers pulled the remains of their Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Infiltration Vehicles (SOEIV or HEV) out of the immediate area. In five minutes, three Pelicans were angling in for landing. They extended landing gear and touched down on the Forerunner metal. They didn't cut the engines, which was meant as an urgent liftoff. The Crew Chiefs stepped out of the back and helped the Warthogs clamp on to the ends. "All right then, sir?" the closest Crew Chief named Smithe asked. "Yeah. Make sure those M12s are secure, I don't want to pick them up again. "Jolly good. Don't worry about it; I'll have these hogs secured to perfection. Better get on board. We're burning fuel here!"

The guys stepped on board the Pelican Omega 321. Bridge seemed happy to see them. His copilot was a Hispanic woman named Catalina Niños. "Everybody on board?" She asked. Chris looked around. He had packed his guys and a few extra Helljumpers inside. He was the only one standing. "Yeah. Take us up, Suicide." "Copy that." Bridge said sliding the visor down over his eyes so he could synch with his bird. He pulled on his throttle and raised the Pelican off the ground. He left the main hatch open as they climbed. The tiny patch of Forerunner metal and Latin inscriptions would be hidden again by the blowing wind. Hidden from prying eyes once more.

The three birds flew in formation. She was all the _Phoenix_ had in her compliment of dropships. Technically the _Phoenix_ class of destroyers could carry five but then again, they never planned for their little excursion. "This is Suicide. What's your twenty ladies?" Only the pilot of Golf 997 was female. "_This is Golf. Got a little sand in my intakes but I'll be fine._" "_Romeo here Omega. All green here._" Bridge smiled in satisfaction. "Hang on back there, we're going to shave a few minutes off our arrival time." He activated the afterburners, which made the dropship speed to almost five hundred kilometers an hour. He sealed up the rear hatch too. "ETA is now twenty minutes. We're going to land and head back up to orbit. We need refueling and arming just in case." Tails' ears perked up. "Arming? Are you expecting a fight?" The pilot's visor flashed. "We never rule things out like that. Just in case, Petty Officer."

The landing site was something to look at. It was disguised to look like a mountain but ancient technology was poking through. "How come we didn't pick that up the first time we scanned?" Chris asked. "Was some kind of ancient Forerunner jammer. We were as surprised as you were." Jolee came to the cockpit. "I've seen stuff like this before. Kashyyyk had a star map much like this. Some ancient technology. Looked something-something like this." "A Star Map? How come you didn't tell me about that?" "I didn't think it was important! You never would have gotten into it anyway. I've tried over two hundred times and nothing happened!" Tails scoffed. "Two hundred times, Jolee?" "Heh heh, call me stubborn. There wasn't much else to do down there!" "Old man's good." Ryan said smiling.

"Take us in. Where did you put down?" Vennettilli asked. "Here, sir." The copilot reported. There was a blue upside-down triangle marking the landing zone. "Where's the 5th? Where's Major Donwest?" "I'm not picking up his transponder here. Must be under the mountain." "Maybe." Chris said nodding. Believing him, wanting to believe him. They had already lost many good men and women on this "mission".

The Pelicans banked and slowly set down on what appeared to be a plateau. The doors cycled open and the Marines stepped out. The _Phoenix_ was faintly visible in the air, with running lights blinking in the blue atmosphere. "So why isn't she down here?" Chris asked Smithe. "Sure she has a fat ass but she can find a place to set down. I'm sure." "Bloody hell if I know, sir. I suppose it's because, in the slightest chance that we are attack-and I'm not ruling anything out-we can get the hell out of this system quickly. If she's not going to land, I wonder why she isn't just going to go into orbit then. I mean, she'd be wasting less power than just hovering out yonder. Well, this is where we part ways. Good luck finding whatever it is you're looking for." The gentleman said stepping back on the dropship. He thumped the bulkhead twice and the engines started up.

"Well, there goes our ride home." Sally said slipping a cap onto her head. She tucked her bangs under the brim so it would appear that her face was clean and official. He noticed that the cap she was wearing had UNSC ACORN FFG-3216 stitched onto it. "Patriotism?" he asked pointing to it. "Well, yes and no. I mean, I am proud to be Mobian and I'm proud to show my love for my nation, my world my species. _Acorn_'s the first joint project between the UNSC and the RAF, even if she is illegitimate." "And what's the 'no' bit?" "These Navy caps breath much better than those Fidels. She said pointing to Chris' cap. She was right, but it would be much colder inside where no sunlight shown.

"Worried about hearing straight?" "Heh, Human, all these years around Mobians and you forget so easy. I can hear things that you _can_'t. A thin layer of polyester won't make a big difference." "Hey! Hat freaks! Let's get this show on the road!" Johnson said. He was about to enter the facility. "We'd better get going." She said sliding her Assault rifle from her shoulder." "Yes ma'am." Chris said saluting her. It was strange to some, a Captain saluting to an NCO. Although this NCO was a Princess.

"What's going on here, Johnson?" Banks asked. "Doors are wide open. No signs of oxidization or corrosion. Must have been pretty well maintained if I remember my Forerunner study correctly." "Looks dark in there. Bet it wasn't as dark as it was on Installation 04, huh man?" Johnson looked squarely at Tyrell. "Sergeant, I've never told you this and I've always wished I could, you're my hero sir. You're the reason I joined the Corps. Spartan I, Paris IV, Boren's Syndrome, Halo, The Second Battle...I guess I couldn't have asked for a better role model." "Tyrell, I'm no hero. I'm just a man. I'm worse than that, I'm a clone." "Doesn't matter to me. You're Avery Johnson Junior. That's the way I see you." "Thanks Banks." He said contemplating what he said.

"Hot damn! Look at the size of this place!" Ryan said easing the warthog inside the structure. "Is this the atrium?! It's as _wide_ as a football field!" Rouge was tapping on her datapad. "Technically it's the 'antechamber' if I'm translating correctly." "Whatever. Can you imagine what the rest of the structure is like?" "Must be pretty big. I hope there's a map." To fulfill her wish, there was a _pop_ and a map appeared as a huge 100-foot manifestation of coherent light, a revolution of volumetric displays. "Wow, NICOLE, what is this?" Chris asked. "_If I'm reading this correctly, the outer and inner mantle is made up of this one big maze of corridors! The core is something of…a computer center!_" "Actually, it is the central processor core of the entire system!"

Everyone wheeled about looking at what made the noise. Hovering in front of them was a floating sphere. Along the sides there were two rings that were suspended by an antigrav relay and a glowing ball in the center. "Greetings sentients! I am 1138 Benevolent Algorithm, monitor and executive adjutant of Outpost 49! How can I assist you today?" "Someone give me First Contact scenarios for Forerunner AI." Chris demanded. NICOLE automatically began searching. "Wait a minute. That thing over there just called us 'sentients'." Tails said. "Yes, your point being?" Banks asked. "Forerunners always called humans 'Reclaimers' if I read the history correctly. "Reclaimers?" Benevolent Algorithm asked. "Yes, you know of them?" He asked with an excited pitch in his voice. The fox's eyes seemed to radiate light. "I do. Reclaimers is a designation name of the species chosen by the Forerunners." The AI uncertainly looked at the Marines. "Are these Reclaimers?" Tails smiled widely. "Oh my God!" "What?!" Sally asked excitedly. "This AI isn't Forerunner! Oh my God I've only read about them! We must be the first people to ever see these in eons!" "What? Speak English to me!" Chris said whom's curiosity had flared up. "This place was built by the Precursors!" "Yes. That was a designation for my makers."

"Listen, Banagolant-" Banks tried "_Benevolent_." "OK, forget that shit. I'm calling you Ben, OK?" "That is sufficient. Ben. Oh my, that makes my processor giddy!" the AI collapsed in a fit of giggles. The Master Chief put forward. "I saw this on Halo, Captain. The AI, 343 Guilty Spark was on Halo for over 100,000 years. He had developed an inane personality and quirks. Perhaps Ben here has spent some time in solitude." "I get the picture, Master Chief." Chris nodded. "Ben, a question if you will." "I am at your disposal, sentient." It chirped. "Right. Ben, how long have you been here for, in chronological terms?" "Etymological analysis: By chronological, you refer to our word _chronos_, which means 'time'?" Ben asked. "Yeah." Chris said noting the Latin. "Accessing Stellar Maps." The AI said, He projected a map of the system, the planet they were on had a blue sheen. This system's outer planet takes a long duration of time to circle the primary. Sentient, how long is your annum?" "Uh…annum?" Chris said looking confused. "He means year, Chris." Sally whispered into his ear. "Oh, 365 24-hour days. Do you understand the concept?" "I do. Calculating." "Observation complete. I have been here for forty-nine revolutions around the sun: a grand total of 523,819 annums." A few Helljumpers whistled. "Wow." One said in the back.

"Observation: This would suggest that this model is notoriously old and is in dire need of decommissioning. May I Master?" Just then, Ben floated over to HK-24 and the two stared at each other, photoreceptor to photoreceptor. Then, they floated apart. "Statement. This AI has a way with words master." "_I caught some of that._" NICOLE said. "What did they say?" Sally asked. "If I were to write it out, it would be the length of the Bible." "Machines talk that fast?" Kaiden asked. "Oh yes." 24 said. "We could fill up thousands of pages of binary dialogue in the time it takes a human to say, perform a four minute song." "Now, is there something you seek?" Ben asked. "We need a jewel known as the Blood Emerald. We think it's here on the planet." "Oh!" Ben said startled. "Why didn't you just say so?" Sally stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?" "Well, about an hour and a half ago a group of heavily armed…humans as you call them and beast-men were charging through here looking menacing." "Beast-men, that's a new one." Sally said to Chris who cracked a smile. "They have triggered the defense system and Sentinels have been sent to end the quarrel. Some did not survive the initial wave." Chris was beset of a thought of Claire, who might be in a pool of blood.

"And the rest?" "Scattered throughout the facility. Actually, if we go to the security substation we can call off the security alert. It will be fortified…" "We'll be ready." Banks said. "Captain, we'll head for the substation. You find a way to get to the core." "Ben, what if we need you?" Jolee asked. "I have the ability to teleport throughout the facility. I just need to link into your communication system. Work quickly if you wish to retrieve the emerald." "Copy that. Banks, we'll take the hogs. You OK on foot?" "Yeah Chris. The 5th was on foot. They can't be far. We'll link up later." "Alright. Good luck. Ben, see you soon." Chris said. "Charmed." It chimed. As they walked away, the Marines heard the AI say, "Your combat skin is fairly impressive, but I recommend upgrading to a Class 5. If there's a repair station nearby, do not hesitate…but they were soon swallowed up by silence. Chris cracked his neck. "OK, let's do this, gentlemen!"


	27. Chapter 26: Deepest, Darkest Secret

Chapter 26: Deepest, Darkest Secrets

January 16th, 3238 1416 hours

Outpost 49

Corridor 989-J

Captain Christopher James Vennetilli Soldier's Log

/Begin Entry/

This place is amazing! I can't believe that this entire _system_ is artificial! There was only one planet coming in though. Maybe there's one hidden in the Kupiter belt somewhere…The Precursors must have been really advanced if they were able to make an entire artificial solar system. I've never seen Onyx but I'm sure that this place is a hundred times the place it was, even before she blew. To sum up everything that's happened in the past few hours, we're trying to find an access elevator that may just take us to the core of the planet. Tails hypothesizes that the core must be equalized and for us not to be crushed by the pressure. I'm interested to also see what this Precursor treasure is.

/End Entry

Captain Tyrell Banks filed forwards with his Assault Rifle raised. He carefully sighted the scope as he crept forward, not even making noise as his boots hit the ground, not even a squeak. "Lieutenant, check that corner!" He whispered to his Second Officer. Lieutenant Markhees scanned the horizon. His visor flashed in the ambient light cast from far overhead. If the Mobian's head was uncovered, he would be able to see his breath as the temperatures suddenly dropped suddenly to 25 degrees Fahrenheit the water in the canteens started to stop sloshing from side to side.

"Damn, I thought I was actually going to drink this thing." One of the Heljumpers said. "Shut it…" Banks said, not really interested in his man's discontent. He wanted _absolute_ silence because he still couldn't pick up Major Donway's Transponder signal. He had a strong feel in his stomach that if Donwest got 86'd then there was a good chance that Vennettilli or he would go next. Then the mission would be compromised and nobody would be going home.

There was a sound out in the horizon. Tyrell couldn't hear it so he asked one of his Mobians, a female mouse acting as Medic named Karaline Bell. "Bell, anything coming up?" Karaline took off he helmet and cleared short brown locks away from her ears. "It's a scream sir. I think its Human." The sound lingered sadly for a few moments until all they heard was slight creaking and computer blips. "Round the corner, keep weapons up." Banks said after gulping. The ODSTs pressed up against the side keeping their guns raised. "Let's go, move, move, move!" Markhees said quietly.

The Special Forces marines rounded the bend and Markhees, who was leading the group, stopped cold. "Oh my God." He said. "What? Let me through, you shits!" Banks commanded. He saw that there was a body lying on the floor and by the looks of the blood and carbon scoring, there was a messy fight here. "Holy shit… Who's this guy?" Bell knelt next to the body and placed her helmet gently on the floor. She felt his pulse while looking for a tag. "Well Captain, bad news is he's dead. Good news is that we have some ID. This poor guy's name is Devin O'Donnell. He was part of the 5th Psy Ops Division. He was a Corporal Weapons Specialist that was in the team that went in here. It's been forty minutes since his EKG flatlined."

"So, how did the bastard die?" Judging from the wounds, I would say from a laser based weapon. However, after reviewing the UNSC Weapons Technical Specification List here," she said opening her laptop and tapping on a link, "I can quickly assume that…yes, this laser residue appears to be a much lower frequency than that of Sentinels like these…oh there's one now!" As soon as she said that, a metal drone flew over their heads muttering "_Erratum, Erratum_!"

"Those Sentinels are not interested in you for the moment." Benevolent Algorithm calmly said. They are heading towards the source of the conflict. Kindly finish up with your friend please." Banks looked at Bell quickly. He could se her blue eyes wide and aware of how O'Donnell died. "Answers, Private." "Sir. I've looked at this Sentinel damage. O'Donnell must have died in great pain. I'm detecting sixth degree burns all along his upper torso, there's a little bit left of his ribcage as you can see there, the blast completely vaporized every single soft organ in the blast radius, and many wounds are cauterized, so there's much less blood than usual. At least it was quick." "Grab the tags, doc. Let's move on here." "Yes sir."

"Tell me more about these Sentinels. Now." "We are on a timed schedule if you intend to-" "We can walk and talk, Tinkerbell." "Very well. Let's 'Walk and Talk' as you say." The two of them set off, Banks at a brisk jog and Ben bobbing in mid-air. "These Sentinels are the mechanical model I described to you earlier. They stand at around eight feet in height and carry an array of weaponry. They have a projectile cannon, which processes around 1500 rounds a minute of hardened Lead Silicates as well as a low frequency laser which cuts through even the most hardened metals." "That doesn't sound very comforting." "It wasn't meant to be comforting, Captain Banks." "You know you are a whole lot more honest than Forerunner AI." "Forerunner AI are much less advanced than us. We can access feelings and emotions that they will never even be able to access."

Finally there were sounds of gunshots. Various calibers of firearms going off at once. _Well that's it; we're in the fight_. Banks thought. "_Tyrell, this is Markhees! We've found a fire team of 5__th__ Division 'Freaks'._" The Lieutenant said over the COM. Banks _had been lagging behind talking to Ben. "What's their status, Lieutenant?" "A little shaken up but OK. They've lost a man though. Acting CO is a one Sergeant Ted Baxter. He says that he thinks that Donwest is dead_." "Great. Hold that position until I show up. What's the enemy detail?" "_Three squads of Sentinels. Their energy shields are holding us back but sustained fire will drain them out. You'll want to try using Gauss weapons, they can just bypass them! Ah shit! We have Enforcers! You two! Try to disrupt the shield! I don't care just do it! Captain, we're a bit rough. I'm going to have to clear the channel!_" "Copy that Lieutenant. I'll be right there!"

"I'm telling you we've been driving in circles for hours!" Sally said leaning on the window of the Warthog. "I've been following the map I've downloaded from the mainframe." Chris argued swerving to avoid a small constructer drone, which was repairing a broken conduit. "Yeah but that map is huge! Maybe you should ask for help!" "There _is_ no help page, Princess." "Suggestion: Perhaps we should contact the adjutant." "Better idea: How about we don't and say we did." Sally shot back. "Jeez, that had some bite to it." Chris said with eyebrows raised. "Must be the lack of sunlight. You know I have a cousin who was in Norway for a business placement, went crazy in three days because of the Dark Season as he called it." "Yeah, but we aren't in Norway _are we_?" "Oh shut up, Sal." Chris said accelerating the hog.

A noise on his COM prompted his attention. He tapped his earpiece. "This is Vennettilli. What's the problem?" "_Banks here Chris. We have serious problems on our end._" "Speak my son." "_This ain't any laughing matter, white boy. We've made contact with enemy forces. 5__th__ Div troops are under fire from the indigenous Sentinels. Estimated at full company strength. More hostels inbound. Can you do something about it?" _"No can do Banksy. We're more than fifty miles from your position. It would nearly take us an hour to get back!" "_God damn it! In that case, I'm transferring the objective of locating the security substation to you. I just can't do it!_" "Copy that Captain. I'll find that thing."

"Listen up everyone. Banks and his team are pinned down. They've found some of our guys but it isn't looking too hot. We are to now locate a security substation and designate our units as friendly." "_You know, I'm not too pleased with the fact that we have to do this man's dirty work_." Johnson said. "_Yeah, I hear you. I mean, what are we, his parents_?" Miles added. "Listen, the sooner we do this the sooner we go home. _Capisci_?" There were two 'rogers' and then silence. "What was that about contacting the adjutant again?" Chris said after a quick pensive moment. "Yeah. I said that." Sally said looking at him. "_I think I might be able to make that happen_." NICOLE said. "Explain." Chris said not taking his mind off the road. "_Straight to the point. I like you, Human. Just hold on while I identify our ID signatures to Benevolent Algorithm and there we go!_"

There was a flash and the AI appeared. After noticing that they were moving he adjusted his speed and matched 60 MPH quite easily. "Yes, I believe you called me?" "Correct." Chris said rolling down the window. "We need access to the security substation. Where is it?" The bright glowing eye intensified for a second. "I have a route Human. Follow my light and I will get you there. The Sentinels will not be happy." "What, you mean you can't _do_ anything about them?" Sally asked bitterly. "I am but an adjutant. I cannot fight, much less my own Sentinels. However, more will materialize soon. I do not fret, I do not worry." He said. "Jesus, you are an interesting work of art." Sally breathed placing a hand to her temple." At once a thick blue line began pulsing on the floor at regular intervals. They assumed that it would lead them to their next target. "All units follow that line." He said. He shifted his warthog into high gear turning to make sure his fender was dead center with the line. Behind him, the others followed suit. "Princess, Kaiden, HK-24! Charge up those weapons! We're in for a firefight!" Sally pulled out her Python and inserted rounds into the chamber and tugged her assault rifle out of the holder in the door. Kaiden flipped his blaster pistol over in his hand and made sure that she had a healthy compliment of Tibanna gas. HK-24 decided to diversify selecting a Heckler and Koch MG-424 from the corner, inserting the ammo box and charging it. He also grabbed a disruptor rifle, which was rumored to punch even through energy shields.

The other cars got ready. Scans showed that the nearest security substation was only a few minutes away. Already, some Sentinel drones were turning their eyes towards the approaching Marines, which were calmly muttering '_Erratum, Erratum_." "_Security Station located. Contact in T-minus five_!" NICOLE said with a shrill tone. "_Marking all Sentinels as hostiles. And…CONTACT_!"

The drones detected the Marines already turning their laser weaponry on them. The Precursor robots shot the ruby red beams that cut through the air and left a lingering smell of ozone. Car 1, which was Johnson's gang, squeezed off the first rounds. Distant gunfire sounded and muzzle flashes emanated from the troop section of the LRV. The rounds pinged off the energy shields that immediately sprang into existence. The high caliber rounds weren't doing much damage. "_Try using energy weapons!_" Johnson barked. In a few seconds, there was blasterfire coming from the M12. The shields flared quickly and soon died. The machines noticed this and tried to retreat but were cut down to burning hulks. "_That's the way, Marines_!" The sergeant said.

The security substation was one large, spire-like structure. There were terminals all over the base. One of them could potentially end this entire threat. The Precursor Sentinels redoubled their efforts to crush the Marine opposition, sending deadly accurate beams of energy at the Warthogs. Some glanced off, but sustained fire was starting to make the aluminum body of the Light recon Vehicle melt.

Cars 2 and 3 opened fire. Ryan was in center with Car 2 and Chris kept his distance. He pulled out his Desert Eagle and sighted it. The jostling of the vehicle made the targeting difficult but he had to do something. He fired off three shots. The weapon bark was loud. The bullets had a wide spread but two of them managed to hit their targets. One hit a Sentinel's boom, which made it lose control and spin in the air, the second just wounded it.

Sally came back and fired off automatic bursts from the Assault Rifle. The weapon provided the killing blow that would take out the drones after they were weakened by the plasma weapons. She looked absolutely ferocious with the stock pressed into her shoulder. The squirrel gritted her teeth as she tried to kill the drones. Shells flew out of the chamber and were swept away from the warthog. One turned its laser on her and fired. The ruby red beam made contact with her and she cried out in pain, dropping the gun. She grabbed her shoulder and she leaned back into the car, crying.

Chris pulled the E-Brake and brought the jeep to a halt a mere hundred feet from the spire. "All units ditch the vehicles! Fan out and try to secure a location to begin accessing the subsystem." "I would recommend accessing it from here." Ben said looking towards a large data bank or hard drive that was slightly exposed. Chris ducked behind the warthog. Kaiden was treating Sally's wound. The Sentinel beam had burned her skin to a rosy red. The skin was clearly visible and was slick with fluid. "How you doing, sweetheart?" Chris asked placing a hand on her shoulder. She gritted her teeth. "I'll survive." She brought herself to say. Chris couldn't stop himself. "Does it hurt?" "Yeah. Have you ever been shot by a laser before? Not plasma but a laser?" "No." "Well then picture this: I pull your say, tongue out, and wrapping it all the way around your body lengthwise and widthwise. That suffice?" "Maybe." Chris said a little sheepishly. "Mind handing me that kolto, Captain?" Kaiden asked.

In the background, the two Mandalorians were shooting their blaster weapons, taking down several other robots. Chris found the kolto inside a medical kit. He cracked the box open and handed the liquid to Kaiden. Ordo poured some over Sally's skin and rubbed it in, assuring her that she was going to be fine. "Lucky that beam didn't stay on you for more than a second, then things would really be bad." He said with a small smile. A beam sizzled over his head and that got his attention. "Chris, take NICOLE and plug her into that thing." Sally said with a gasp of pain. She pulled the computer off her leg strap and handed it to the human. "Don't try to talk me out of this, you don't have a burned arm!" Chris stared for a second as their eyes met. He then nodded his head. "Alright Princess. 24, Ben, come with me!" The assassin droid got up from his position and covered his master. Ben was right behind them as they ventured out into the open. Chris fired until his gun was empty. He dropped the clip and slammed a new one home into the receiver.

Two Sentinels were blown away as he and 24 snaked around the perimeter. "Everyone, cover my flank!" Vennettilli barked over the COM. Johnson responded, "_Copy that, your ass is in safe hands_." Chris almost cracked a smile. Avery was a loyal creature. He would fight well. Suddenly, there was a purple light flashing above them. In fact, there were all sorts of light flashing all over the security spire. "_W…what's that mean_?!" NICOLE asked. "It's a call. The Sentinels are asking for backup, Captain." Ben said.

Banks and his men were having trouble keeping up with the reinforcements. Already, three Enforcers have attacked (all destroyed by Gauss weapons) and they had a close encounter with the Mech version of the drones nicknamed Mongos by the Marines. The Mongos had the high caliber guns that were mounted on their hands, coupled with twin Sentinel Beams mounted underneath their "heads". They had no shielding though so a few well-placed shots could bring them down. Right now, Tyrell and Co. were being spammed by the regular Sentinels. The had lost one of the ODSTs and two other 5th Division Marines. It was also confirmed ten minutes ago that Major Donwest had been killed by an Enforcer. That meant that the Lieutenant of the Division, named Ferell was now in charge of his Company.

Banks was just finished spraying a drone with lead when his COM beeped. He tapped the side of his helmet and said, "Go. Whatever it is, make it quick." "_Banks, this is Chris! We have encountered significant resistance near the substation spire. They've lit the torch! We are expecting enemy reinforcements to arrive within three minutes_." Banks cursed. If those reinforcements finished the Captain and his group, then they were all dead. "Copy that, Captain. We'll try to hold out here." "_That's all I need to hear Tyrell. We might not succeed here so be ready to run for it._" "I got you, white boy. Come back in one piece, you dig?" "_Gotcha, Banksy. Make sure we have a medic on hand, Acorn has been injured. Out_."

Banks shook his head. For a furry she was a great one. Even if she was a bitch some times. He focused his attention to blowing a Sentinel to pieces and curbstombing it when it tried to limp away. "BRING IT ON!" he roared.

"Go, go, go!" Chris shouted. He and 24 made their way to the other side of the hundred-foot diameter spire. Flashing lights were all over the place. Already, more Sentinels were beginning to pop out of the woodwork and in the distance he could see larger drones coming from ducts and tubes. "Attention, this is a BROADCOM announcement. We have enemy reinforcements. Estimated them to be at Platoon Strength, repeat, Platoon Strength. Enforcers are part of the group, count them three Enforcers." "_This is Johnson. I copy that message. We are prepared to fight this new threat. We have a fallback point if necessary_." "No need, Sergeant, we'll have this over with in no time flat."

"Cautionary: Master, I believe it should be wise to set a fallback point in case the Sentinels overrun our position." "That won't happen 24. NICOLE is adept at slicing into alien computers." "Yes, but I still think I should voice my concerns…" "Your concern is noted. Follow me, droid." "Answer: Yes Master, of course, Master."

They were at the console. Ben floated over them bathing the area in bright blue light. "OK, how do I work this thing?" Chris asked. "Simply hook up the computer to the security substation via an infrared connection." "_That I can do. Make sure that I'm in holographic form before you decide to pop me in._" Chris nodded and flipped open NICOLE's covering. She appeared before them. It had been a while since he had seen her holographic form. He assumed that even AIs needed exercise since she seemed quite relieved to be able to perceive like a person. Her holographic ears twitched and tail flipped in the air. "OK, I'm ready, plug me in."

Chris held the computer in front of the console. "24, watch my back." The droid nodded and turned around, ready to spray the approaching Sentinels with bullets and blaster bolts. He tapped the 'Scan for Networks' button located at the top of the screen and waited. There were hundreds of results but NICOLE automatically selected the fastest. "Give me a few minutes to synch up." "Warning: Master, we don't have a few minutes!" Chris wheeled around. The Sentinels and Enforcers were right in front of them. He could literally see his own reflection in its eye. "Holy Jesus." He breathed. "May I hold that for you?" Ben said. Suddenly, NICOLE's weight was suddenly taken off his hands and she was floating in mid air. "Well get moving then!" he protested. "Yeah, what he said!" NICOLE added.

"Go!" Chris shouted. HK-24 dashed to the left while Chris took the right. "Get the eye! That's its sensor region!" They broke off and began shooting. The Enforcer didn't know whom to shoot first and launched missiles. They snaked up in the air and landed just a few yards away from them. Ben shielded NICOLE with an energy film but the impact blew the Marine and his droid precariously close to the edge of a giant chasm. Chris looked down the hole and saw faint blue light in the distance. It was a horrifying, dizzying view and he picked himself up off the ground. He shot at the Enforcer again who had now found its target. The metal beast had an energy shield in front of it which caused bullets to bounce off.

Desperate, he primed a grenade and cooked it off for three seconds then tossed. The frag landed right behind the shield and landed on a niche in the Enforcer's body. It detonated and sprayed the drone with metal shrapnel. The shield itself deflected the rest back _into_ the body, cracking the eye plate. Temporarily blind, it began to fire all its weapons. Lasers and crystalline shards bounced everywhere slicing up the friendly Sentinels and damaging Precursor architecture.

Tails said, "That thing is going to cause more damage to the facility than _us_!" "Not necessarily a bad thing is it?" Ryan asked firing a rocket into a close cluster of Sentinels, which vaporized. "BA-BOOM BABY!" he crowed. "I mean, I would rather this place be blown to hell rather than us taking the brunt of it. This place is big too, so there's really no need to worry if some 500,000 plus year old computers go haywire." "_I think it should be a problem if those computers happen to be the climate control devices that prevent the facility from reaching almost 2000 degrees Centigrade._" Ryan gulped. "How much is that in Fahrenheit?" Tails did the quick math: "About 3632 degrees." He gulped. "Alright, _avoid_ collateral damage."

"Status NICOLE!" Chris roared while he slammed a new clip into his assault rifle. "_Nearly done, boss. I'm 87% inside the system. I just need 92% to be able to access the basic systems!_" "Just make it quick! I don't want to-" The firing pin dropped and the weapon echoed a _click_. "Oh dear God no…"

The weapon was empty. He was defenseless except for his Desert Eagle. The handgun was deadly granted, but there was a shortage of ammo and he only had three more mags on him. He went with the impossible and pulled it out anyway. He had to lead the Enforcer away from his cramped position. He found a shadow and slipped in. Amazingly, the Enforcer stopped its search. He could see the eye roll about trying to perceive, but otherwise it just stood there, floating… "No way." Chris breathed. "You're telling me the Forerunner's forerunners never thought of Night Vision?" "_It wasn't a high level priority. We never usually waged wars in shadows._"

Suddenly, there was a weapon bark and an orange blob of energy hit. It was a huge ball of energy nearly ten feet across. The Enforcer shuddered, and then just fell apart. The debris fell into the bottomless chasm, trailing sparks. HK-24 was using projectiles. It was Bunnie. Her arm cannon was the cause of the ball of plasma, as he should have known. "Rabbot?" "Chris, I never really had the chance to thank you after you got us out of the _Leviathan_. Consider that my personal thanks." She smiled. "Thanks, Bunnie." Chris warmly said. The conversation was cut short as two Mongos walked out to meet them.

"Walkers, Marines!" Chris bellowed. He ran around trying to get a sight on them using the Desert Eagle. Tails had taken out his Lightsaber and was using it to slice apart joints. It wasn't doing much more than pissing them off. "Just die already!" He suddenly reached out and blue lightning erupted from his fingers, tracing bright blue arcs in the air. He was alarmed by this. His eyes were wide with fear as the memory of Malak zapping him surfaced. He couldn't stop. Suddenly the Mongo reared up, gave a mechanical shriek and fell backwards, dead." Tails looked at his fingers. Smoke was trailing slightly from the tips and his nails were slightly singed. "Oh my God…what am I?"

"Tails! Move your ass!" Johnson roared. Miles came to his senses and ran for cover behind the warthog where Sally was. She had a tight bandage around her arm. "How you doing Aunt Sally?" "Smooth, Tails. Nice light show." She said as she blind-fired her revolver. The shot went wide and landed nowhere near her target. "Not the best experience. I had no idea where it came from. Master Kavar wouldn't be very happy if he saw me doing that." He stood up and tossed his lightsaber. It twirled around and sliced through a Sentinel. The drone was bisected and exploded with a small boom.

"Why is that?" "He said that that was a Sith power!" "Tails, it's not the power, its how you use it!" Sally countered picking up a grenade, pulling the pin out and tossing it over the jeep. A boom and metal pinging off the aluminum body was confirmation that her toss was a good one. "_OK, I'm in!_" NICOLE said.

"Good! Access the FOF subsection and highlight everyone else as a friendly!" Ben said. "Working…OK, I've got it!" At once, the Sentinels stopped firing. "Yeah baby!" Chris said punching the air. The drones looked at each other and flew off with new commands to attend to. "_Banks to Vennettilli. The Sentinels have stopped firing. Repeat, the Sentinels are pulling back! I presume that you found the substation?_" "Correct Banksy! We have negated everyone as hostiles. Try to find the closest lift to the core." "_Copy that. Might need the AI to help us though_." "I would be happy to assist, Captain. I just need to point your friends in the right direction first." Then they shut the COM off. "I'd best set you off." He made another blue line appear. The closest portal is about two hundred fifty miles away. I presume that the others may have a much closer one." Then he vanished in a ring of light.

"Two hundred and fifty, huh?" Rouge asked. "That's a long way. That's like a three hour drive." Bunnie said. "Three hours. Whatever's in this place has to be very much worth that." Johnson noted. "I agree with the Sergeant." Chris said. Whatever we have to go through on this rock has to be very much worth the prize." He took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose. "What's that status on the warthogs, Tails?"

Prower cleared his throat. "We've got one stressed axel. We should be able to make the trip. The right taillight's busted on Johnson's hog so, that's a violation." The squad laughed slightly. "Other than that, we are ship shape. Might want to recharge the Hydrogen cells though." "Good. Let's get a move on."

Three hours ticked by slowly. Three hours of looking at the same dull metal patterns on the wall was tiring both physically and mentally. "Oh look, that one looks like a flower." Sally said now playing games with herself to keep herself from going insane. Chris suggested that they put in a CD with songs but she refused flat out. This sun thing must be serious business for her. "Maybe we'll find a skylight. I can't believe you're acting all bitchy just because of a little darkness. Creepy darkness, I grant you but just darkness." "Chris, I don't. Like. The. Dark. I have to pretend that there's always a blue sky. Space is the only exception for me. It's just _beautiful_ up there." "I agree with you. Don't worry, this'll be over before you know it." "_Heads up, Core portal up ahead._" NICOLE said.

The portal was about three stories high. Blue energy was coursing along the outer edges and a blue, water-like film covered the height. "Wow, look at that." Tails said. "Looks like it's sort of like the Mobius/Earth Warpgate!" Ryan looked at the portal. "Seems more like a Stargate to me." The others agreed. It did look more like a Stargate. "I don't care what it is. We need to go through it. So…um…any volunteers?"

There was a slight silence. The guys looked at one another and back to Chris. Johnson said, "I ain't going in there!" Chris rolled his eyes. The Master Chief walked forward. "I'll do it, sir." He said. Chris stared at him for a second and then noticed that his mouth was slightly gaping. "Yes, of course! You can learn a lot from the Master Chief, ladies and gentlemen!"

_Oh brother_. The Chief thought

"Chief, you send a signal as soon as you clear the other side, got it?" "Yes sir." "Good man. Off you go then."

The Master Chief looked uncertainly at the portal. It was too calm to be true. The half circle of energy beckoned him forward, urging him to step through. He slowly crossed forwards until his face made contact with the film. He pushed his hand through… and it felt as if nothing happened, like it wasn't even on. "I don't think it works." He said trying to walk through. When he got to he other side, he thought. _Oh it worked alright_.

He was standing on a walkway poised over a spherical room. It was gigantic, possibly ten miles wide. In the center was a floating sphere of metal with Precursor symbols carved into it. _That's got to be the core_. He reasoned. What he found odd was that there was a gentle "down" pulling him towards the walkway. Down here, even gravity had been manipulated. It seemed that the walkway went around the core and sloped onto it in certain spaces, suggesting that the gravity was negated there. Remembering that his team was on the other side, he sent the beacon to tell them that it was all right to come.

"He's not responding." Sally said noticing the channels were silent. "Relax, he's the Master Friggin' Chief. The man's so badass that we don't even know his name!" Chris laughed, "Man doesn't have a name I've heard, just a number." Ryan said cleaning his weapons. "Yeah, well I heard that _none_ of the Spartans have names. Just numbers." Rouge offered. "That's bullshit, I was talking to one a few years back. He was named what was it, Tommy Alenkoe. 5th Spartans." Chris said. "Wow seriously, you met a Spartan?" "Yeah, actually we were just passing each other, we were new in Knothole and I introduced myself. He said his name back, badabing, badaboom, we had an espresso in the café." "I hate you, Chris. All this great stuff happens to you." Sally muttered. "I did _not_ ask for all this!" "Oh Jesus, here he goes with the 'my parents got killed by terrorists' story again!" Ryan groaned.

Suddenly the COM beeped. "Hello!" Tails said surprised. "Sierra 117, it's the Chief!" "The link must work!" Chris said with a smile on his face. "Everyone move! On the double!" The Marines immediately began to move. The warthogs were brought in with them and they crossed over the gate. Vennettilli was the last man through. He stepped through the gate and felt the temperature rise considerably. The Core Room was amazing. He was struck with the same thoughts of the Master Chief. Behind him, an exactly identical gate with a Precursor number over it was present. There were hundreds of other gates around him though. He drew a copy of the symbol on his palm with a pen.

"Wow, this place is amazing! The mastery of artificial gravity would have to be insane!" Tails said practically overflowing with curiosity about this place. "Look, this place is 500,000 years old and it looks as if it was made yesterday. Oh, if I could get some of this to a lab…" "Tails, heel." Chris said. "Where are the ODSTs and the 5th?" Sally asked. "Evidently not anywhere nearby. You detecting anything NICOLE?" "Eh, not really." NICOLE said shaking her head. "I am detecting Banks heading towards the gate. Damn are they fast, even with the 5th holding them down. I estimate that they'll be here within 15 hours." "15 hours!" Sally groaned rolling her head and eyes. "It could be worse. I don't want to rush ahead without them." "Then what do you suggest we do then? Wait?" Ryan asked. "Perhaps." The Captain answered.

"Mandalorians might not be much for patience, but I feel you've earned some, sir." Kaiden said. "I'll wait." Johnson lit up a cigar. "If Conan over there is willing to stand still, so will I." After that, everyone else reluctantly gave in. They got ready to wait for a long time.

Chris' internal clock woke him up after he elected to take second watch. It was mere minutes before the 15-hour timer finished. He rubbed his eyes loving the feeling of sleeping in again. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. It was the same Core Room. Some of the others were huddled around the Warthog playing cards. HK-24 was standing deactivated at the rear of his jeep. Tails had NICOLE with him and was doing some scans of the area. He kept muttering things to her, which he would likely include in his report to HIGHCOM when they came back (he refrained using 'if' because it sounded demoralizing). Sally was sitting in the troop bay. "Morning sunshine." She said with a smile and a laugh. "What did I miss?" the human asked.

"Not much. The countdown timer is in the last few minutes. NICOLE made some precise countdown preparations to guess when they'd show up." "Great. You feeling better?" "Yeah I am. I guess I've been pretty preoccupied with this room. I mean, look at it. How _old_ is this place really? How much history is in here? These markers could tell a story for each one, and we don't know how to read it. We can understand it sure, but we can't read it. Shame really." "Yeah, real shame. It really is."

Just as the timer hit zero, one of the other portals began to shiver and soon, men and women both Mobian and Human were filing out, each one looking at the wonders of the room they were in. They seemed close enough to wave hands so Chris tried that. The leader (Which he assumed was Banks) waved back at them and in a ridiculously short time, they came right up to him. "Banks! I see you've joined the party!" "Yeah, we have. Lost some good men coming here." "What's the funeral detail?" "Fifteen dead including people from my team. Damn shame if you ask me. Where's the console?" "There." Chris said pointing at the Core." "Damn!" Chris nodded. "Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction too." "How do we access it?"

"Well, the way I see it, there is one master terminal that's right at the front of the whole thing and multiple server-like things that poke up all over the body. If we can access the main terminal plus some of the other servers, we can gain quite a bit of information." "Right. Your guys access the terminal, I'll get some of my people to secure some servers." "Right." The Captain said.

"So what's the plan?" Bunnie asked. "We secure the terminal. Access the information and figure out what the hell is on this planet!" "Ooh-rah." Johnson crowed. "Be quick about it though. We want to find that Emerald."

The terminal wasn't very complex. Ben even offered to get them through the most of it. NICOLE could easily interface with it. After about half an hour of searching, they found what they were looking for. The Chaos Blood Emerald. It materialized in mid-air, spinning slowly in front of them. "It's about damn time." Johnson said breathlessly. "Sure is beautiful isn't it." Just as they were about to reach out and take it, NICOLE said, "Oh my God!" Her holographic eyes grew wide and she turned a shade of blue. "What, what is it?!" Sally asked alarmed. "I just saw something in these files! It's…a horrible weapon!" "Open the files!" Chris ordered. There was a roughly spherical hologram with a ring around it. It would have looked like a planet if it were not for the glyphs and pillars holding the ring. "It's a bomb of some sort if I'm reading this correctly." "What's its size?" "100 Aus."

That got them all jumpy. "According to this, the Precursors were haunted by the Flood since they hailed from the Precursor's galaxy. They came to a galaxy to escape and placed a bomb in the galactic center. So far, nobody's used it." "Which galaxy is it in?" NICOLE took a long time thinking about that one. "Ours." She said. "The Milky Way galaxy." The group looked very worried at this. "Apparently, this bomb can exist in every single universe and sends out immense signals doing this which we have been misinterpreting as a supermassive black hole!" "We've got to find that bomb." Tails said. Who knows when it will go off or if it's on a countdown timer? The Flood arriving in the Milky Way around 100,000 years ago might be a trigger." "Confirmed. There is a countdown of some sort. Good news is that it's set to go off in about 100 years."

"100 years?" Bunnie asked. "What's the spread?" NICOLE said, "150,000 lightyears in all directions. Works on the same principle as the Halo Array. By the time that bad boy is done, this galaxy will be lifeless." Tails thought, "They must have influenced the Forerunners to build the Halo Array in the first place!" Just then, there was an urgent COM beep.

"This is Vennettilli." The Captain said. "_Captain this is Perry! Where the hell did you go?! We've been trying to reach you for almost an entire day! You are in a bad spot Captain!_" "Captain, what are you trying to tell me here sir?" "_You were followed! A few ships followed you into the structure! They just slipped right past us! It's a trap!_" Then, there was a cold, evil laugh. Metallic.

"Bravo, Captain." Darth Malak said. "You've led us straight to the treasure chest." The Marines wheeled around to see the Dark Lord of the Sith and Doctor Ivo Robotnik standing shoulder to shoulder. "The deepest, darkest secret has finally been revealed." 


	28. Chapter 27: The Ultimate Showdown

Chapter 27: The Ultimate Showdown

January 17th, 3238, 0541 hours

Outpost 49

Core Room

"Malak" The Captain said with gritted teeth. He raised his gun and every single Marine behind him did. "Captain, I am glad to see you once more. I feel that we haven't spent enough time together." Chris glanced at Eggman and jerked his rifle in that general direction. "Why's cheesecake here with you?" Eggman flared up and snarled. "Be careful with what you say, boy. I could kill you right _now_." "Heh, you and what army?" Robotnik smiled. "I was hoping you were going to ask that."

At once, a whole _army_ appeared behind the pair. Robots, Sith and Dark Jedi stood at the ready brandishing their weapons. "Sweet Mother of God!" Ryan croaked. "Sally? Hit Ryan for opening his mouth." The Princess nodded and slugged the Corporal. A tooth fell out of his mouth. "Good shot!" Percy said. "You hurt my hand." Acorn said rubbing her knuckles.

"Ahem." Malak cleared his throat. "My patience will not last all day." "OK, let's ask it, the question that you've been dying to hear: How the _fuck_ did you find us out of nowhere?" Malak nodded. "An apt question, Captain. Unfortunately, I will have to explain it from the beginning." "Great. He's gonna bore us out and _then_ kill us." Banks said to some giggles from the Helljumpers. "Silence." Malak commanded. He said it with such…_power_ that he made the others quiet.

"It was quite some time ago. I was still a part of the vaunted Jedi Order. That sprawling theocratic _mass_ of beings who pledged their lives to the Force, claiming themselves to be objects of its will! I believed it for a little while. That's when he found me."

Revan was an amazing man. My master taught me everything that I know. Things that the other masters wouldn't. He made me _see_." "See what?" Ryan asked. Robotnik also had the confused face on him. "He mad me see that they had it all wrong. The Force didn't control us, we controlled the Force! We were it's masters not the other way around!" "Pompous Sith ideals." Jolee whispered "It's basically Jedi role reversal."

"One day, my master brought to my attention a small burial tomb not far from the enclave on Dantooine. It was serene, quiet. Not very convincing. That evening, we entered the tomb, knowing well and well that the Council would banish us for entering such a place. At the time I did not know what a favor Revan would be doing for me. Inside the tomb, was a star map." "_A star map, sort of like what we found_?" NICOLE asked. "Similar in design and intention, yes, but not as old." Malak replied. "According to an ancient droid we found, the map was only there for 20,000 years. Yours appears to be five times that age." He then continued.

The map held considerable power, directing us to a construct known as the Star Forge, an awesome factory hidden here in the Unknown Regions. It had the ability to construct my armada of _thousands_ of ships and build millions of battle droids. But my master had started to show weakness. It was shortly before Telos that he had become…too much of a risk for me. I fired on his ship and destroyed him there, on his bridge. He died that day and I became the Lord of the Sith! But then…you came along. You don't belong here. You never should have come. But yet, you prove an opportunity for me. The Blood Emerald presents me with new advantages! With the doctor at my side," he indicated Kintobor, "I shall move on beyond this pitiful galaxy after I have sucked it _clean_ of the pathetic Jedi, travel to new universes across Existence, conquering all that I see! The Universe shall be mine!"

Lightning flew from the Dark Lord's fingers and arced in the air. The smell of ozone descended upon the Marines as they witnessed the spectacular lightshow. "Wow." Markhees breathed. "Now, give me the Emerald." He demanded, leering at the Captain.

The Master Chief backed off from the fight. SPARTANs would never run from a fight, but his suit was telling him that someone was trying to contact him. He edged back towards the Core and the gigantic chasm that was above it. The chasm, he gathered, shot all the way to the surface. It was large enough that he could even see light at the end. This was the only way a signal could come through. The static cleared and Cortana's voice registered. Then, there was the feeling of vertigo he always felt when Cortana entered the AI storage unit. "Chief, can you hear me?" "I can. What did you do?" "I transferred from the _Phoenix_ to your armor. A new feature." "Hmm, I didn't know." Cortana cut to the chase.

"Chief, I've detected multiple hyperspace signatures! There are hundreds of ships coming out of FTL! Say again, _hundreds_! We have to do something!" "Like what?" "I'm thinking, Chief, I'm thinking!" Then, an idea came to John. "Wait, Cortana, we destroyed The Ark and it made a huge explosion. When Onyx was destroyed it pretty much annihilated the entire Covenant armada there." "According to the log, yes. What are you…Chief, are you suggesting that we destroy the planet?" "I…maybe…If this entire planet is destroyed, the blast or rocky shards could destroy the fleet." "Yeah, but there's one problem, we'll be onboard when it happens!"

"Well, maybe, maybe not. At least Malak will never find the Emerald!" "I…it's worth a shot!"

"I said, _give me it!_" Malak said with more voice. "Give me the emerald!" "Fuck you." Chris said with such finality. "You little whelp!" Eggman said. "Robots, take aim at the boy!" "Aw doc, here I was thinking that you'd finally remember my name." "Fi-" "Julian, stay your hand." Malak said. Robotnik stopped and looked at the Dark Lord. "What?" "I have unfinished business with him."

The doctor shrugged and smiled. "By all means. But I was hoping…" "You will get your turn my friend." The Captain leered at Robotnik. "He called you 'friend' but you should know doc, that the Sith always turn on each other. Who's to say that he won't turn on you?" "Silence." Malak demanded again. Chris was suddenly short of breath and was lifted telekinetically into the air. The Marines raised their guns at Malak. "Do nothing, or I will break his neck." The Sith Lord threatened. His fist tightened and Chris gasped in pain as his spine stressed.

"Put him down you son of a bitch!" Sally roared sighting her rifle. A laser poised on Malak's forehead. The Dark Lord wasn't even fazed. With his other hand, he blasted the young man. Chris shrieked in the air as lightning coursed over his skin. The shrieks reverberated off the walls. Several soldiers looked away. Even a few Helljumpers flinched.

Vennettilli's skeleton became visible soon in flashes. Tails could take no more. "DON'T HURT HIM!" He screamed and ran forward with his lightsaber drawn. "Tails! No!" Jolee said trailing after him. The fox put himself between the Marine and the Sith Lord. He actually deflected the lightning. Malak was suddenly stunned and dropped Chris who thudded on the floor. Two Helljumpers ran forward and dragged him behind the Warthogs. "Robots! Open fire!" Eggman said.

For a second, all the noise there was in the room was the charging of weapons on both sides and the igniting of lightsabers. Then hell broke loose. Both sides emitted battle cries and charged forward. The 5th Division with activated lightsabers went in first. Shooting telekinetic waves at their adversaries, robots and Sith were blasted off the platform to arc back to the core. Two UNSC 5th Divs joined the fight with Malak. It seemed unfair, four against one. But Malak quickly slaughtered the unwary Marines and left them to die on the floor. It seemed that Miles and Jolee were faring quite well. Blocking and parrying the Dark Lord's attacks and even countering a few. Adrenalin spiked in Tails. He had never felt so _alive_ before. _Maybe this is how Chris feels. Maybe that's why he says and fights_.

Chris Vennettilli was shaking as the current flowed in his body. Medic Bell was looking over him. "You OK, sir?" she squeaked. "Yeah, I'm fine, just a little shaken up. What's going on, Bell?" She helped him into a sitting position. "Shots have been fired, sir. We're in an all-out battle. We have no chance to beat these guys." "No chance at all?" "Strategically we have the upper hand. The Core provides us with cover and underneath the walkway itself around the Core. Numerically, we have no chance." "Great. Thanks a lot, doc."

Sally and Ryan slid into cover. "They're bringing in berserkers." Ryan said distressed. Chris risked a glance over the hood of the warthog. Through the portal, the lumbering mech-like robots were spinning their chainguns, the single red eye scanning for targets. "Berserkers, get your heads down boys!" A Sergeant screamed. Lead tore into the warthog's body but the car held. Some rounds ricocheted off the floor but no one was seriously injured. "We need anti-personnel rockets, Banks' men have them but they're stranded about fifty feet through the fire." "Got an idea." Chris said. "Tilt the hog over."

The car was light enough top flip on its side with a few people. They dragged the jeep along with them, the body absorbing the bulk of the fire. Eventually they were at the other side of the bridge. "Hey, 182nd!" Chris called. "107th!" The leader asked. "What the hell you want, ground pounder?" "Rockets! Got any?" The leader nodded. "Yeah, fuck of a load of good it'll do you!" He handed over the launcher and about ten rockets. "Good fucking luck man!"

The Chief ran forward dodging fire and lasers. He charged forward and shattered the bones of a Dark Jedi who flung back about fifty feet. "Chief! I see the Captain!" Cortana said. She highlighted the jeep. "Get your ass over there Spartan!" The Chief sprinted through the battle only pausing to shoot some robot drones. He stacked up against the warthog. "What did I miss?" He asked swapping mags. "Not much. We need to make a distraction. Formulate a plan." Chris said loading the launcher. "No need. I have one. Where are the others?" "Rouge is with Kaiden and the Mandalorians. 24's backing them up. Miles and Jolee are in the main scuffle. The rest of us are right here. What's the plan?" "Forgive me for cutting to the chase, but we're going to blow up the planet." That caused a pause.

"Blow up the planet? Christ." Johnson said raising eyebrows. "Is that possible?" Sally asked. "_Theoretically_." Cortana replied. "That's all I need to hear." Chris said. He handed the launcher to the Chief. "Hey, hey, what the hell are you doing?" Ryan asked. "He needs it more than we do. We're safe here as long as they don't advance. Then we're really screwed!"

In orbit, hundreds of ships exited hyperspace. "Sweet mother of God!" Perry said with his mouth agape. "TAC, h…how many ships are there?" The Tactical Officer did a quick scan, "Sir, findings are still coming in, but I estimate around 120 ships. Any way you gift-wrap it, that's a lot of ships."

The closest ships were unnaturally close. A bubble was formed a mere 50 kilometers around them. That alone was uncomfortable. If they didn't shoot them, they were going to _ram_ them. The safe thing to do was just to wait. Commander West aboard the _Acorn_ was doing the right thing about being quiet. Any radio chatter that would be picked up could be considered a threat and warrant an execution.

"Sir," Bianca said. "I have finished the scan. Radar shows 122 enemy ships in a 200,000 kilometer range, all evenly spaced around us." "That's bad news. That's _real _bad news." The captain said rubbing his forehead. "Sir, we can try to outrun them." Calvin Briggs asked looking over his shoulder. "No, they'll catch us before we even think of it." "Sir, encoded transmission coming from the _Acorn_. Audio only sir." "Put it up." "Aye Captain." Kevin said.

"_Captain Perry, this is Commander Kylie West. We have made enemy radar contact 122 ships not counting fighters and boarding craft. Be advised the _Acorn_ needs significant time to charge up the MAC capacitors. We can take them for a little while._" "That's a negative West. Hold your position until further orders are given." There was static for a second. "_Aye sir. Holding position._" Perry patiently drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair. He looked out the window towards the planet below. "Come on, boys. Whatever the hell it is you're doing, finish it _up!_"

The Master Chief charged back towards the core. He picked up a shield fashioned impromptu from a berserker's chest plate, which was almost as big as he was. Bullets pinged off and a few got through. Evidently this was a big design flaw. _They couldn't protect against their own bullets!_ "Cortana, you see that?' "I did Chief. I'm calling this in."

"_Attention, all units, The robot's own arms can penetrate their armor much better. Advised that you switch weapons at your earliest convenience. Cortana out_." The Marines nodded and rushed to grab fallen weaponry. Sal was the first to pick one up, fumbling with the bulky trigger guard. "They must have been designed for larger hands." She flicked off the safety and poised it at waist height. "Going loud!" She squeezed the trigger. With a loud bark, the gun lit up and spat rounds at incredible speeds. The first robot she hit burst into sparks splashing fluids all over walkway. The shells hit the floor with gentle pitter-patters. "Whoa." She said. She pulled out the magazine and pulled out a bullet. It seemed identical to any bullet except it was denser and shinier. "Tungsten rounds!" She explained to her friends. "Tungsten rounds?" Chris asked again unsure. "Yeah. Tungsten has a much higher penetration power and transferable kinetic damage. Looks like it's also a shredder round of sorts. See, it breaks apart here." She pointed to a fissure in the bullet's head. "No wonder it takes so many of our guys down." She grabbed a submachine gun off the floor and tossed it to the Captain who looked for a charging hammer. He found it on the opposite side of the gun. "That's weird. I thought robots were all righties." "No time to argue, shoot them!" She commanded.

Chris leaned over the body of the hog and let loose from the gun. The bullets streamed and hit the lead robots. Oil and fluid flowed from the wounds and the hunks of metal fell. "Yeah baby!" He crowed. He absolutely demolished the Sith opposition who seemed to fly apart under the impact of the tungsten superbullets. "Keep fire. 107th boys, pick up a robot weapon and start shooting shit up!" "Yes sir!"

The Helljumpers ran from cover and snatched fallen weapons. They were chased by laser fire. A brave corporal stayed behind to cover their retreat and took down two Dark Jedi who charged at him. "That's right Killer, tear 'em apart!" The CO said with satisfaction. "_Captain, it's Johnson. Falling back to secondary position! They're making a move forward!_" "Copy that, Sergeant. Move back to the highlighted position." He dropped a NAV marker on an outcropping. "_I copy that, Captain. Moving to position_."

Tails and Jolee were really getting into it. Flourishes were much more common and power parries came now and then. Malak still hadn't gained the upper hand and it showed on the Dark Lord's face. A Dark Jedi approached but Malak roared, "Back away! They're mine!" "You can't beat us Malak!" Tails said. "Don't give into your emotions!" "JEDI GARBAGE!" The Sith Lord screamed. The vocabulator screeched in protest. "I got your back, Tails." Jolee said with a warm heart. Corporal Poisson had showed up and used her own lightsaber to aid in the battle. Jolee had taught her well. Now, three on one, the battle was starting to draw electrictity. Ozone was strong in the air and bodies on both sides were beginning to pile up.

"OK, just access the terminal." Cortana said. "Easy for you to say. This is a 500,000 year old home PC." "Just _trust_ me Spartan. When have I ever steered you wrong?" "Well, there _was _this one time on Halo…" "Let's _not_ get into that again! How was I going to know the Flood were storming up the corridor? At least I told you to jump after!" "Yeah, right, sure." "We can _bitch_ about it later! Just access the terminal!"

The holographic controls activated. Volumetric displays floated above the surface. A handful of Marines were guarding him. They were shooting off captured weapons at the hostiles. "Get a move on, sir! We're running out of ammo!" the leader, a Corporal said. "Got it! I'm in." The AI responded. "Allow me to access the failsafe protocols and emergency detonation systems." Cortana said. Her voice was much higher now. They were so close…

"Any time you're ready sir…" Lieutenant Morrison said with his hand over the button to launch the MACs. "Hold fire, Morrison." Perry said. "Give us a tiny thrust to port. 100 meters. I want to line up exactly with their flagship." "Aye sir. 100 meters port." The ship shuddered as the thrusters blew the destroyer to the "left". The flagship, the _Leviathan_ barely seemed to move. "Sir, we're receiving a message from Admiral Karath." "Let's hear it."

"_Captain, there is a chance to reason peacefully. We can put this matter behind us if you are willing to surrender your ship-_" "You're in no position to ask for anything, Saul." Captain Perry replied icy cold. "_I will not ask again. Surrender your ship of be destroyed. Simple as that. Will you cooperate?_" Perry saw that his proximity scans showed several friendly contacts coming in at light speed. "Saul, I wouldn't dream of it." "_Oh?_" "That's right you bastard. You turn your back on the Republic, the galaxy, your own people, and expect me to surrender to the likes of _you_? Here's my counteroffer, Admiral." He nodded to Morrison who fired the MAC.

Karath's face slowly realized but he couldn't move his ship out of the way. In less than a second, the MAC slugs slammed into the lower prow of the _Leviathan_. The ship listed as the hole vented atmosphere. Hyperspace ruptures appeared in space and ships sped into view. "_Attention to the UNSC ships _Phoenix_ and _Acorn_: This is the Mandalorian combat fleet Vodé. Immediately advise that you clear the area and start firing! Things are about to get very, very nasty!_"

Some of the bridge crew was uplifted. The Mandalorians or what was left of them was contacted shortly after the retreat from Telos. They informed the Captain that Mandalore was killed at Malachor V and that they were leaderless. They agreed to do the UNSC a favor in that all the requested was a fight that would honor them. Two years later, they got what they wanted.

The _Acorn_ sped ahead first, her drives glowing bright blue as the ship coasted through space, spitting fire from her cannons. "_Captain, this is West. Try to split up. If they nail one of us and the reactors go critical, the blast or debris can get another one of us!_" "Agreed, Commander. Stay away from those ships!"

The _Phoenix_ launched a salvo or Archer missiles. The ship-to-ship ordinance lit up and coasted across the night sky. The shields on the enemy craft blocked some but they were worn down and the hull was eventually punctured by the UNSC weapons. An _Interdictor_-class went critical from Mandalorian fire and lit up the immediate area. The close proximity of the blast leveled two other support vessels. "_See what I'm talking about, Captain_?" "I copy. Steady as she goes, West." He shut off the COM and turned to the fight. "Let's bag us some kills. Ensign Briggs," he said indicating Girard "All ahead full! Push her to 110." "Aye sir, engines responding 110."

The destroyer accelerated and the point defense guns blasted incoming Sith Interceptors. Lieutenant Veers and his team blasted out of the launch bay in their modified fighters. An extra set of guns was mounted on the underside of the wing. The fighters fired their main engines and sped off to battle with the majority of the Sith Fleet drawn towards the approaching Mandalorian ships.

The _Acorn_ launched a salvo of archers to destroy a small frigate that was still threatening them. The _Phoenix _followed up with a twin blast of MACs blowing away a cruiser. "_Nice shot. He didn't see that coming_." West said with glee. The miniscule UNSC frigate swooped with the grace of a yacht carving the sky with her weapons. Fighter after fighter burst into flames and soon snubbed out in the vacuum.

"_Hostile bandits, all over the motherfucking spectrum!_" Python screamed over the channel as the Interceptors plowed at the F-29s. "Keep it steady, Warrant Officer!" Veers warned as he flipped his fighter to a 45 degree angle to take out a fleeing Sith fighter. "All fighters check in. Report heavily populated area." "_Got one. Coordinates 223 by 181, angels 22, Flight strength. More coming boss_." Another pilot said. "Tally ho, targets acquired, got a visual.

Red diamonds painted the enemy's location. He thumbed a cluster missile away. The missile split into eight smaller wedges and these exploded with the force of a small nuclear missile. The diamonds disappeared and he logged four kills. "_Way to blast 'em sir._" "Don't get cocky. Mop up the survivors and move onto the next group." "_Yes sir._" Then the channel went dead.

The ships continued to fight bravely. Even though the Mandalorians were sucking up the bulk of turbolasers and proton torpedoes, the UNSC ships were fending for themselves. The actual purpose of the fleet was to draw fire _away_ from the planet. The ships would only be used to evacuate the Marines if necessary. "_Captain Perry, this is Vennettilli_." "Go Captain, and make it quick. We have a battle to win up here." "_Sir, we have a plan to stop the Sith_." "That's great! What is it?" "_Sir, we have to destroy the planet to avoid it falling into the Sith's hands!_" "Damn…OK, do it! We're starting to take shield damage here!" "_Yes, sir. Out_."

Time was now of the essence. Behind the Master Chief, dozens of men were dying. Brave soldiers who were holding the line against an _army_. "Leave me here Chief! You can pick me up when I'm finished!" "Uh…how?" "Just tap on the console." He did as instructed and Cortana simply slipped from his mind. "_I'm in. Chief, Tails is in trouble!_"

Miles couldn't hold up anymore. His lightsaber was slipping from sweaty hands. His fur was slick with saline fluid but he needed to beat Malak. The Dark Lord blasted Claire and Jolee down the walkway and they lay there gasping for breath. "I sense the fear within you Jedi. You should have joined me when you had the chance!" The lightsaber came up but a green blur shot across Miles field of vision. He had a lightsaber in hand as well.

John had tackled Malak head-on. The Dark Lord lay on the ground with blood pouring from the temple. "What is this?!" he demanded. The Chief landed several blows to the head. A few more solid hits and the metal plate over his mouth flew off. Tails nearly gagged. "Holy _fuck_ he has no mouth!"

The Master Chief flinched as he sized up the man. Darth Malak's lower jaw was cleanly separated from his skull. Judging from the burned flesh that was cut straight, he suggested a lightsaber. A single vocabulator was placed on his throat. "Now you see the true me, all that is left from a grisly sparring with my master…I am defeated. Kill me…strike me down…" "_I've done it! The destruction program has executed…Mother of God. The sun…it's expanding! 10,000 miles a second in diameter! Chief, the star's going to go supernova!_" The Spartan pulled his pistol from his belt and placed it evenly between Malak's eyes. "Shoot me." He simply said. The Dark Lord was not afraid.

The battle was starting to turn. The UNSC had pushed back the primary defense position. Rouge flapped her wings and grabbed a position from the overhead riggings. She flipped upside down and slotted a magazine of Tungsten rounds into her 10mm pistol. She racked the slide and aimed a shot. BLAM. A robot fell. BLAM. A Sith trooper clutched his stomach and swayed, soon falling dead in a pool of blood. BLAM, BLAM. A berserker stumbled then died. Rouge had a silent laugh of joy. Two shots were all it had taken to bring the monster down. She flipped right side up again assembled a modular sniper rifle. She procured a magazine from her backpack and inserted it into the receiver. Rouge cocked the pin and sighted, ready to give sniper support.

"All squads push forward!" Chris ordered. The Marines gave a battle cry and charged forward with renewed vigor. Shots travelled from the mass of Marines and felled many soldiers. The army had been pushed back to the portal. "Send them back!" One in the back called as he hurled a grenade over the UNSC forces. Bodies flew in all directions. "They're retreating!" Sally said. It was true. The robots and the Sith started to turn and run. Sniper fire from the distant rafters caught some as they tried to get away. "Rouge?" Chris asked. "_Got your back handsome_." Chris saw Eggman trying to get away. "Get him!" He roared. Sally and Banks sprinted forward and tackled Robotnik. "Get down on the ground!" Banks said. "I said FUCKING GET ON THE GROUND!"

Robotnik was terrified. It was all over. "Put your hands on your head!" Sally ordered. The Doctor complied. All attention was focused on Malk and the Chief.

"Chief, don't do it." Tails pleaded. "He's beaten. Leave him alone." The supersoldier didn't drop the weapon. "Don't do it. Killing an unarmed opponent is _wrong_." The Spartan was asked to do something against his training: Spare the enemy. It was visibly taking its toll. John's hand shivered. He wanted to do it, but Tails kept pleading. He couldn't think and then, he dropped the mag from the weapon and clicked on the safety. "Alright…I'll leave him alive." As soon as he dropped the gun, Malak's eyes sprang open and a shockwave erupted from him. Everyone was blasted away. Sally went screaming over the edge but before she could fall, Chris and Kaiden caught her. Chris stared with wide eyes at the drop. "Don't look!" Kaiden said with veins visible on his neck. "PULL HER UP!"

Malak got to his feet. "Malak help me!" Eggman said. The Dark Lord looked at Kintobor. A second later, he nodded to someone with a lightsaber. Robotnik looked about to see Alicia walking out of the portal. "Ah! Good girl! Come, help me out!" Then, his face went blank as he noticed her face. Alicia's eyes were dark yellow and red rimmed. She had black lipstick on and her hair was tied back to reveal several fur patterns that seemed freshly painted. Also, the black robe was a no-brainer. "Alicia? What did he do to you?!" Sally's clone walked over to Malak and leaned up against him. "Made me whole father."

Eggman's eyes went wide with shock. "What?! You've been training her behind my back?!" Ryan nodded. "Ah yes, the classic 'screw you' attack, taken right from the playbooks. "She may not have the Force with her, but Alicia is loyal and I have made her see the way. Dispose of him." The words echoed in Malak's mind. "The Rule of Two, my dear doctor. There can only be two. Business partners, apprentices, it does not matter."

Alicia strode forward ready to execute the Doctor when Rouge swooped down from the ceiling. "Back off, asshole. I'm booking Stay Puft here!" "You don't get it do you?" Alicia asked. "After Rhen Var, I thought you would figure it out:" She strode dangerously close and then their faces were less than a centimeter apart. "I. Don't. Care." "Don't you touch her!" Screamed a voice. Sally grabbed Alicia in a sleeper hold trying to wrestle the lightsaber from her clone's hand. "Drop it!" She ordered. "I'll drop you!" Malak was caught off guard. The Master Chief grabbed the Sith Lord and threw him off the platform. There was no scream as the Dark Lord plummeted back to the core.

"JUST GIVE UP!" Alicia roared as she flipped Sally over her. The guys tried to get close. "I'll handle this. Get fat ass back to the ship!" "_There's only five minutes until the sun goes nova_." NICOLE said. "_She's right. You need a different way!_" Chris looked at the roof. The long chasm… "Got an idea." He said running. "You are _not _thinking what I think you are right?!" "Answer: I believe he is." "Ben! How wide is that chasm?" "Approximately three miles. Might I ask of the purpose?" "Need a ride. Attention, to any UNSC ship out there, we need evac NOW." "_This is _Acorn_. I hear you, over. I think we see a way to get to you. We can reach you in about two minutes_." "Great move it!" The COM shut off and looked at the battle. He said to Banks. "Well, this has been a fucked up day. Two minutes…seems like forever." "Agreed, white boy, agreed." 


	29. Chapter 28: Final Boarding Call

Chapter 28: Final Boarding call

January 17th, 3238, 0621 hours

Outpost 49

Core Room

This was her fight. She had to end this. Her clone was grappling at her neck, trying to find some pressure point, some weak vertebrae to snap, but she wouldn't let her find one. Sally was locked in close combat with Alicia. Her clone was boring into her with red-rimmed eyes. "Look what he's done to you!" she said trying to make her see. "He's done something even worse! Not even the doctor would make you act like this!" "He's done _nothing_! He's made me _stronger_! I am better than you!"

"That's why you survived? That's why you willed yourself to go on when all of your friends were killed? You just wanted to prove a point?!" Alicia seemed guilty and looked away. "You are pathetic!" the princess deemed, stressing the last word. The clone then said. "Malak did the right thing! Taking me in was the best moment of my life! Robotnik didn't even know until it was too late!" Sally landed a blow to Alicia's head. "So you sold him out to get extra training? That's _disgusting_!"

"He had nothing left to offer me!" Alicia roared kicking Sally's shins. The Princess held her ground though. "I've fought his drones, I've destroyed his ships! There's nothing else I could learn from the bastard!" Acorn switched to a headlock and tried to choke her into unconsciousness. "You've never thought about anything else except betraying the man who gave you life?" "What can I say? When I see an opportunity I _take it_." She drove her boot backwards into the princess' pelvis. She released Alicia rubbing her lower abdomen in pain. That's when things really got nasty.

The clone took the opportunity to drive an uppercut into Sally's jaw. It shot up and then a frenzy of blows to her chest. She coughed blood soon after and she knew things were getting bad. She was losing. The others raised their guns but she screamed that she wanted to finish this. Reluctantly, the survivors lowered their guns. She was losing…she needed to find a way…

She thought back. Years ago. Four years to be precise, when humans had arrived on Mobius. She asked for special training to become a Marine and help fight this off. The humans had initially refused the offer but eventually they came around. She remembered the name of her DI: Jones. That was his name. Sergeant Jackson Jones, JJ as they called him. He taught her everything to know about hand to hand fighting, even when your opponent had the upper hand. She remembered a sparring match…

The sun shone in the air, birds chirped, and the gentle crackle of automatic weapons fire drifted over the Great Forest. In the boxing ring located in the right section of the camp, Sergeant Jones was punching Sally with soft gloves. "Come on, bitch! Come on, bitch! You can do it!" Jones whacked the side of the Princess' head. Her mouth guard popped out and bounced on the ring's floor. "I can't do it, Sarge! You've been pummeling me all week! Everything from my head to my ass is bruised!" "Come on, furry. Hit me! You can do it, I know you can."

Sally shrugged and launched a punch but faked and reversed it. That took Jones slightly off guard but he still blocked it. _What am I going to do? This man is a monster! There's got to be something I can…wait…there is. But it's damn risky_. She decided to proceed with her plan. She fought again as usual but then when Jones let her have it again with a glove right between the breasts, she doubled over, pretending to choke. Naturally, Jones was worried so he stepped forward. "Princess…?" Then she struck.

Moving faster than lightning, she nailed him under the chin. While he was stunned, she released a flurry of blows to his ribs and face. She never let up. It was until Jones shouted 'STOP, STOP! I GIVE!" that she stopped the barrage. Sergeant Jones stood up shakily and held one hand over a black eye and spat blood. "Good job, furry. Good job."

That was what she needed, the classic feint. As a matter of fact, the same type of feint that she used on Chris years ago in the Mandalorian camp, slight variation though. As she was tossed around, she could feel the sharp end of her CANADARMS Ontario Combat Knife prick her leg through the fatigues. The plan was worse than when she was sparring. She needed to get tossed around to give Alicia the sense of false security.

She did so. She purposely started hyperventilating to give the illusion of being winded. In truth, she was barely getting tired and she was also purifying her blood as well. It was almost purely oxygenated and would allow her limbs to move faster and longer. She only needed to be faster here. Alicia started to laugh as she kicked Sally in the face. Her nose broke and blood came out of her nostrils seeping through her fur. _Damn, that really hurt_! She thought as her nose smarted angrily. "It's over, I can feel it!" Alicia said with a maniacal smile on her face. "Damn straight it is." She kneed the princess and caused her to double over. That was when she plucked the dagger out of her leg sheath. "Good, I was getting tired of this." She said standing over her. "That makes two of us.

"Ugh…"

Alicia's eyes went wide. Her mouth went agape. "You…" she said. Slowly, her eyes drifted to the dagger that was lodged in her chest, right over her heart. "You…" "Go on, say it." Sally said through gritted teeth. The Original and the Clone locked eyes. Alicia's hands shook ferociously as she tried to pull the dagger away, but the princess just shoved it deeper, feeling resistance from her ribs, she pushed past it. Hard. Alicia gasped in pain, blood starting to foam at her mouth. "You get to _die_! You motherfucking BITCH!" Acorn growled. Her eyes seemed to light on fire. "You attack my friends, you ally yourself with the Sith, and you claim yourself to be better?! LOOK AT ME! I'M BETTER! Stay with me, stay with me."

Sally twisted the dagger in the wound, rending meat and making Alicia gasp and arch her back. "You don't regret anything, do you?" the princess asked. "You don't feel sorry for anything you've done? The people you've killed trying to find me, the evil you've been subjected to and embraced? You don't feel sorry at all…" "NO!" Alicia screamed with surprising volume. "NO! SONIC, I LOVED HIM, I LOVED HIM AND YOU KILLED HIM!" She turned and pointed to Chris who stood with his assault rifle raised. "YOU KILLED HIM! YOU SHOT HIM! I'LL KILL YOU; I'LL KILL YOU, YOU HUMAN, Y-" **BANG**.

Sally looked at Chris, ready to shout but she noticed that his gun was exactly where it was before and the barrel wasn't smoking. Instead, she caught a whiff of gunpowder and saw that her own gun was smoking. She stared at Alicia and saw that she had a neat hole in her head leaking blood. The clone's eyes were glazed over. Sally was stunned and dropped the gun which hit the alien floor with a surprisingly quiet _clang_. The revolver sat still. Sally sat back on her knees and realized that she just killed Alicia simply out of annoyance. She shot her just to shut her up. No reason at all…

Chris walked over and stared at the corpse. "Nice work." He said nodding his head. "Is this how you felt when you killed that man?" Sally asked with a hint of ice in her voice. He shrugged. "Yeah, kind of." "Alright. Come on, our ride's here." He pointed to the chasm. Far ahead, a small, blur of silver blue sped from the chasm, fusion engines shining brightly. That blur expanded into a large ship that positioned itself over the walkway. A ramp extended and a squad of Marines descended. "Come on, let's go! Up the ramp, move!"

They ran, but Sally stood still. Chris glanced at his watch, scowled, and then ran back. "Sally, we have to go." He said, with his tone rising. "Leave her, let's _go_!" "She was my clone, in a sense I'm her and she's me. The way she acted…it seemed, so much like me…" Ryan yelled, "The planet _is_ going to be destroyed in a few minutes! You know that?"

"Sally please, we can't waste time! Mourn her later!" he started to sweat. "Sally please…" "She said she loved him…I guess I do too." "SALLY ACORN, GODDAMN IT!" "I…I need to think about this." "Can you do it somewhere else?!" he grabbed her arm. "Let's go!" She never budged. "I…I…" Chris rolled his eyes sadly. "Sally, please forgive me." He reached back and punched her right between the eyes. The princess' limp body fell but the Captain caught her. Flipping her over his shoulder, he began to run up the ramp. "Where's the _Phoenix_?" he asked a Marine. "Watching our ass in orbit. We're taking off now! Take a seat!" He said. "Sir." The young man was quick to add.

"That's better." There was a set of seats located near the ramp. He sat down with the others and put Sally into the next seat, arranging her and strapping her in. "She's gonna be pissed when she wakes up." Captain Banks said with a nervous smile on his face. "I'll just remind her that I saved her ass doing it." "_All crew, prepare for sudden acceleration_." The engines activated and the ship rose. Out of the portholes, it seemed that nothing special was happening. Bodies were littered all over the precursor flooring. "_Good luck, humans._" Said a voice over the COM. "Ben? Is that you?" Tails asked. "_Indeed. You are about to embark on a dangerous journey my friends. Armed with your knowledge, only your race can destroy what my makers created_. "You're not coming with us?" Rouge asked sadly. "_I cannot. I have lived 500,000 years. I have no desire to go on. After half a million years, I have decided that I needed to be deactivated. I have learned, after 500,000 years of isolation, that what I really wanted to experience was death_."

It was very sad to hear a being, artificial or not, to desire death. But this would bring the ancient AI peace. All he wanted to do was serving and help. That completed, he wanted to die knowing he had done his job well. "I'm sorry it had to be that way." The Captain said. "_Don't be sorry. Your life is short; you have a sense of purpose. I've completed mine. Good luck my friends. Good bye and thank you for inquiring of my assistance._" Then the channel went dead. There was no noise for a second, then HK-24 said, "Commentary: Master, I must say, that is the bravest artificial intelligence I have ever encountered. He, as you humans say, has balls. Is that term correct?" Chris pulled the brim of his cap. "Yeah. He sure does."

The _Acorn_ climbed into the air, soon exiting the chasm in the desert. A few laser shots from stranded Sith and robots tried to follow them but they never caught them. They were nearly perpendicular to the ground; the earth falling fast, until the sky turned black and space was all around them. Explosions still dotted the night sky, the ships too far away to be seen in detail. Debris started to rain into the doomed planet's atmosphere, trailing brilliant red streaks as they became meteors. "Acorn, _this is _Phoenix_. Do you have the Marines, over_?" The COM officer, a canine Lieutenant responded. "That's affirmative, _Phoenix_. Marines are onboard and we are moving to rendezvous point." "_Copy that. ETA is two minutes. Get the jump engines fired up, we're gonna have to make this quick! Phoenix out!_" Just as Chris was about to lean back, Cortana said, "_Everyone! It's happened!_" "What?" Tails asked. "The sun's gone critical!" Looking out of the window, Rouge said, "Looks the same to me."

"Explanation: The speed of light prohibits us from viewing this spectacle. Theoretically, eight minutes from now, the wave of hot gas would reach us at the same time the sun's explosion would be visible, not that I would want to anyway."

A few minutes ago in the past, Admiral Saul Karath got the surprise of his life. Soon before the battle in the Core Room got out of control, the flagship had received damage battling the destroyer _Phoenix_, the Earth vessel. He hadn't been expecting the slight change in position which allowed him a head on hit. The ventral prow was punctured all the way through and all decks in the area were breached. The battle was on, and he was sure that victory was at hand. It was only about five minutes before that that a flash of blue light entered the bridge. All of the Sith looked on and a few battle droids aimed their blasters at the spot. A figure materialized and landed softly on the deck. A few soldiers ran forward but were blasted away telekinetically. The figure rose, Darth Malak.

It turned out that when the Master Chief threw Malak from the railing, Malak had a secret weapon in his disposal, an ancient and totally Dark power known as Force Travel. The power itself was Dark in nature as the laws of the galaxy were tossed aside. It allowed a user to teleport across distances instantly via space/time rift. Malak used it to avoid death by impact on the core. Karath grasped at his heart when his Master appeared. "My Lord?" He asked. Malak stood solemnly, his eyes narrowed. "My Lord, your mask is missing." "I will manage, Admiral." The Dark Lord said with his synthetic warble. "You will find me the _Phoenix_ at once." "My Lord?" "They have ruined our chanced of obtaining the Emerald and the secrets of this place. Destroy the ship and recover the Emerald." "Yes, Lord Malak. We are reasonably behind in the attack; we can search for them using radio scan techniques." "Do it." The Sith Lord simply said.

"ETA to rendezvous is forty seconds, _Phoenix_ do you copy?" West asked. "_Copy that, _Acorn. _This is Perry. Welcome home people. Ready to get the hell out of here_?" "They are, sir." "_Good. Allow us to send pelican transports to your position to pick up the survivors and we'll move to the L4 point to initiate Hyperspace jump_." The ship turned white then and a fireball flared. Seconds later it went out. A grey white cloud of atmosphere and metal drifted in the void with sunlight poking through little gaps.

Commander Kylie West's eyes went wide. Her ears twitched and her mouth nearly fell into her lap. "_Phoenix_? _Phoenix_? This is the UNSC _Acorn_ calling the UNSC _Phoenix_. Does anybody copy, over?! Please, respond! Captain, are you there? Please, say something!" A human COM operator looked around at her sadly and said, "Ma'am, she's gone. I'm reading no lifeboats out there. She's been scuttled with all hands."

The crew looked at each other. Chris stared at his men with wide, sad eyes. Captain Alan Perry was dead. His crew was dead. Ensign Kevin Callows, the man he saved from the Firaxa shark, dead. The pretty fox orderly, dead. The Lieutenant Commander, dead, the Briggs twins, dead. All dead. All dead…

All dead, save for them.

There was silence on the bridge of the _Acorn_. Commander West took off her hat and looked at it sadly. The man who had nominated her for this position was dead. Spinning in space, asphyxiated and cold…She only hoped he died in the blast so that he wouldn't have to live his final seconds in the airless void. She closed her eyes and cried, but not too loudly. She placed her forehead to the cap. After a second or two she opened her eyes and saw what gave her hope: FFG-3216, UNSC _Acorn_. She only had to look at the "scrambled eggs" on the brim of her cap to give her that sense of purpose.

She jammed the cap back on her head. Captain Alan Perry had nominated her for the job and she got it. Now that he was dead, it was her responsibility that they got home. She had hundreds of men and women in tow and by God she wasn't about to let them down. "Orders, ma'am?" The gunnery officer asked. "Stay calm, gentlemen. Engineering: What's the status of our jump drives?" "80 %, Commander." "Keep it going. The Captain's crew took this shot for us. God be with me." She gripped the controls and pushed them forward. She only had a year of flight training under her belt, but that one year would be enough to get them home. She knew it.

"They aren't shooting at us!" Chris was surprised to realize this. "They must have thought that we were on the _Phoenix_." Tails said with great gratitude. "Prower, four hundred men and women just died in a heartbeat. Are you insinuating that you feel glad?" Chris asked. Tails flared up. "No sir. I'm just glad that it wasn't us. You are glad it wasn't us, right?" "Should I be? It's survivor's guilt. Perry's dead and I wish I were dead too. He had a wife…shit…" "Yeah. Shit." The fox said hitting the back of his head off the bulkhead.

"Engines almost at full charge!" Engineering reported. "_UNSC _Acorn_, this is Lieutenant Veers, Snake Squadron. Shame the Captain didn't make it._" "Veers! Thank God you're alive!" "_Well, what's left of us. I'm down to two wingmen. Big Bird went down so our heavy fighter support is long gone. We need to dock if you're bugging out_." "That we are. Hurry, we're in a bit of a blitz here." "_Say no more. Please._"

West hit the BROADCOM. "Attention all Mandalorian ships, this is the UNSC _Acorn_. The UNSC _Phoenix_ has been destroyed with all hands lost. As of this moment, I am Senior Commanding Officer of this battle group. The star behind us is going supernova and the blast will be here in three and a half minutes! All ships break engagement and retreat into hyperspace. Randomize your coordinates. Out." She shut off the COM. "Alright everyone, brace yourselves. Things are about to get rough."

The _Acorn_ cruised in the night blasting a few Interceptors. As soon as she was in the clear, West booted up the Hyperspace drive. The Mandalorian fleet followed suit and they all fled into Hyperspace. Malak stood on the _Leviathan_'s bridge. "My Lord, the enemy is running! We've won!" Karath said, overjoyed. "Wait…" Malak said surveying. "There were two vessels…They're all running…" Malak was fitting the pieces together until… "We must leave! Activate the hyperdrive! At once, Admiral. Can we make a jump damaged?" "Yes but…" "Do it then." "I…yes my Lord Malak."

The Sith cruiser banked in space. The fleet was confused with the order. The flagship jumped away leaving the rest to wander. That was when the expanding gas from the star hit the planet. To anybody in the fleet with an open window, all they would see would be a flash of light from the star and then they would be vaporized. Every single ship melted away from existence along with everyone aboard. Outpost 49 shuddered in the outburst and flew apart, the atmosphere chased away in a silvery wisp. Rocky fragments obliterated whoever wasn't immediately in front of the planet and smashed the moons to pieces. All that was left of Outpost 49 were fragments of the planet with bits of artificial passageways exposed, glowing white-hot. Nothing remained of the only known Precursor relic.

Sally opened her eyes. She rubbed the spot where the Captain slugged her. It smarted when she touched. If she ever got ahold of him…That's when she saw him. All she could do was smile though. "Hey." She brought herself to say. "Did we do it?" "Yeah, we did it." Chris wore his leisure uniform, white T-shirt and fatigued pants. Sally wore likewise. "Did we make a clean getaway?" That's when Chris' smile turned into a frown. "There was one stain." "What?" "They got Perry." She sat up straight. "The Captain?" "No, the whole ship. Blew her out of the sky." She started to feel woozy. "Oh my God…Were there any survivors?" All Chris could say, "Besides our group and a few flyboys, there's nobody left." She placed a hand to her temple. "Oh my God." She willed herself not to think of it. "Where are we headed?" "For the moment, deep space. We need to set the record straight with the Mandalorians and pick up our bearings. We need to build a beacon. Some kind of shit Tails said and we have to go back via Slipspace so apparently there's a process to the whole thing. Chris kneeled down to the Princess' level.  
"Sal…we're going home! We're going home at last!" he grabbed her hand and smiled widely. Sally also smiled. "I can't believe it. Mom…Dad…I'm going to see them at last…" "Hell I'll be glad to see Sonic even!" Sally giggled. "One thing's for sure." She said. "What's that?" "This has been one _hell_ of a vacation."

The Mandalorian fleet made the _Acorn_ even tinier than she was. Kaidan was leaving the group behind for the fleet. "I want to thank you all for everything that you've done for me, for my boys. Anybody else wouldn't have done a damn thing. We've really saved the galaxy now, haven't we?" Sally stepped forward and gave Kaiden a hug which the Mandalorian returned. "I'll miss you princess." He said hugging her back. "Where will you go now, Ordo?"

He looked at her and smiled. "I'm going to look for Mandalore's helmet." "What does that mean?" Banks asked. "It's a very powerful symbol to my people. Whoever finds the helmet is the leader of the Mandalorian clans." "Kaidan, the helmet is somewhere out _here_! It's impossible!" Chris interjected. "Difficult yes, impossible, maybe. But I'm sure as hell up to the challenge. You coming, 24?" The droid stepped forward. "Query: Are you certain that you wish me to accompany this Mandalorian after all that we've been through, Masters?" "Yeah. You need to stay here, 24. Tell you what though?" Chris said. He pulled off his hat and handed it to HK-24. "Query: It is a piece of military headware." "It's so you won't forget us."

"Statement: Master, droids do not forget unless subjected to a memory wipe. I shall never forget you all…but deep down in my behavior core, I deeply admire the symbolic gesture. Thank you." Kaidan and his friends walked through the airlock and were gone. They all turned to Jolee. "Your turn, Old Man." Bunnie said. "Screw that, I'm not going anywhere!" "Jolee, you can't stay here." Chris said. "Why? Why can't I come with you? I want to see what wonders you have. I've been around the galaxy and I always love seeing new places. Please, so you don't make me cry. Take me with you." "_Chris, think of the timeline implications_." NICOLE said. "He can come. We can just take him back here, it's essentially time travel. He can be back just seconds after we've gone." Bindo smiled. "Nice choice, sonny. Let's get going." "Not yet." Tails said. "We have two problems: One, we need to inform the Jedi council about Malak and the Star Forge. And two: We need to dump the _Ebon Hawk _somewhere."

It was on the Outer Rim world of Taris that they decided to bestow the _Ebon Hawk_ to a new owner. The richest man on the planet was a man named Davik Kang. For the sake of the meeting, Chris and Johnson (the two most senior officers).

Taris was much like Coruscant except that anti-alien protesters were more common. In a building good enough for a king, they met Davik Kang of the Exchange crime syndicate. Now, Chris had spent some time in the galaxy and learned about the Exchange. They were not to be fucked with, let alone this one man. "Greetings gentlemen. I am Davik Kang. Please, sit down." They did so. "So, what can I do for you today?" "Are you interested in buying a ship, Mr. Kang?" Chris asked. "I have ships, sonny." Davik said laid back. He sat in his chair in a relaxed way. "What makes this ship different?" "What makes her different?" Johnson repeated mockingly. "She's the fastest damn ship in the Outer Rim. Class 1 hyperdrive!" Davik's eyebrow rose. "Class one? Impressive. I'll need to see it though."

Davik was led through the complex with his bodyguard Canderous Ordo. Chris and Johnson noted the fact that Canderous and Kaidan were from the same clan. On the docking arm, Davik himself inspected the _Ebon Hawk_. Chris took this time to talk to Canderous. "Hey." He said. "Hey." The Mandalorian said back. "You're a Mandalorian?" "Is it really important?" "Maybe. Do you know Kaidan Ordo?" "Maybe, he was my second cousin-" he then locked and eye and turned to face him. "Who are you?" "Is it really important? Kaidan is alive just if you wanted to know." "That actually does help you. Thank you." He shook hands. Chris thought he would scream, the opposite hand was crushing his fingers. Canderous smiled mischievously.

Davik walked out of the ship with Johnson. "Wow. I have to say I am impressed. It is the most amazing ship I have ever seen. I will take it. How much?" "How does 115 sound?" "Thousand? Bargain. I'll take her. What's your name?" "Ahita Othar." Chris said. This is my associate Avri. He said indicating Johnson. "Well, Mr. Othar, Mr. Avri, it's been a real pleasure doing business with you. In my opinion, this is the best thing I have ever stolen!"

The next stop was Coruscant. The Princess and Tails walked into the Council Chambers. "You have requested to come before the council to deliver information?" Master Vrook Lamar asked. "We have, Master." Sally said. "Darth Malak has been building a fleet with a giant space factory called the Star Forge. It's of unbelievable power. It was the tool that decimated Telos." "A factory you say?" Master Lonna Vash asked. "Yeah." Tails responded. "He can make hundreds of ships in days." There was silence. "It is clear that the Force has brought us a worthy adversary, but we know next to nothing about this 'Star Forge'. Did you perhaps hear anything Malak said about this?" "No, Master." Miles responded. Lamar growled, "Well that was useful." "Vrook, what about Revan?" Master Zez-Kai Ell asked. "No! It's too dangerous! We can't do it!" the old Jedi Master protested. "We have done it before in the past." Kavar said, backing up Ell. "But we simply can't just reprogram him like a simple droid!" "No residual thoughts will come through, I promise that." The mustached Jedi Master said, his dragon-tooth earrings bobbing as he spoke. "I…So be it. The council is adjourned. Thank you for telling us this. Thank you." Then they were ushered out. "Did you understand anything in there?" Tails asked. "Not a goddamned thing." Sally responded.

Their jobs done and the galaxy set in the right direction, the _Acorn _accelerated back into space. Commander West had called everyone into the R&D Lab made impromptu in the vehicle bay. Some prefab walls with a wrench on it were all that stood. The Captain knocked and was let in. Vennettilli straightened his new cap. It wasn't the same as the old fidel he had worn since Basic, but it was something. In the center of the room was the Blood Emerald shining a shocking green. "What I don't understand is why they called it a _blood_ Emerald." Johnson said. "That shit is green!"

"_I have a solution. Perhaps the Forerunners had green blood. Thus, justifying the name_." "Whatever." Avery said lighting up. "What's this thing Petty officer?" Chris asked pointing to a cigar shaped device with a disk running perpendicular to it. "That's the beacon, sir." Miles explained. "It's modeled after a simple COMSAT but the interior is hollow save for a few maneuvering thrusters and NAVCOM systems. It'll give us a steady location." He took a second rubbing the back of his neck. "One way though…" The Commander nodded with hands behind her back. "I can understand that. How long until we get it operational?" "Oh it's working now; I just need a place to set it up." "Simple, dump it out into space and let's go."

"Not that simple. I see where're you're going with this. All the space in the universe, right? We need a location where nobody can find this." "Why se secretive, shugah?" "Think of it, Bunnie." Tails said leaning on the beacon. "If Malak found it, then who's to say that he won't come back to our universe and kick our asses?" "Point taken." "I have had three suitable locations but I've narrowed it down to one." The fox said tapping a galaxy map. "Location number one: Yavin IV, a gas giant in which we can put the beacon in a decaying orbit. The beacon could be swallowed up in as little as a few months." "Why did you discount it?" West asked. "It's a heavily trafficked area. Number 2: Polis Massa, an asteroid field in which a planetoid has the same name. I discounted this one because of the odds of it being smashed by the rocks." "High?" Chris asked. "No, low. Astronomically low, about 1,281,592:1." "Alright. Number Three?"

"This one I decided to go with, a large cluster of black holes called the Maw. Created some 100,000 years ago by an unknown civilization. There's a single spot where gravity cancels out so that's where we'll launch." "How are we going to get in?" The Chief asked. "If they're black holes, wouldn't they suck us in first chance they get?" "_Well, not this way. I've been talking with Cortana and there is a safe way in. That's where we're heading._" NICOLE said. "What's our ETA?" West asked. "_Nineteen hours give or take thirty minutes or so_." The personal AI reported. "Good. I want that beacon charged up and ready to go as soon as we're in range." Miles saluted. "Aye aye, ma'am."

Twenty hours, fifteen minutes later, the _Acorn_ appeared in a flash. The ship coasted through space. Commander West was at the helm guiding her bird into the small range where gravity was nullified. Cortana had outlined the area in a sphere where the gravity remained constant. Any farther and the _Acorn_ would be tugged in a respective direction and a few minutes later they would be too close to escape certain death. _OK, think happy thoughts Kylie_. West pondered easing the throttle forward. "Release the beacon." She said. "_Aye ma'am. Beacon is away; the Emerald is safe on board_. The viewscreens showed a cigar-shaped beacon slowly firing its maneuvering thrusters. Veers was out there alone making sure that the tiny device wouldn't fly off into the black holes. His F-29 putted in the night on small accelerations countered by small braking to avoid going beyond the sphere. It was a few thousand kilometers cubed in volume but he didn't want to risk overshooting. "_Beacon is in place, returning to clamp_." He reported flying away.

"Final system's check." West ordered looking over the various devices. "Engines?" "Fine." "Weapons?" "Green." "Life Support?" "Green across the board." "Radiation shielding?" "Responding." "Gravity?" "Holding at 1.2 Gees." She nodded and tugged on her cap brim. This would be her first crossing and she felt excited. "All stations stand by for transit. This could get rocky, people!"

On the lower decks, everyone was getting ready for the inevitable jolt, that one swift rock that would propel them across existence itself. They had only done this once and strapping in was necessary. Every man, woman, anthro, and human pulled down acceleration straps to keep them in their seats and off the walls.

The ship approached the beacon that she launched previously. "Activating Slipspace drives in five, four, three, two…engaging!"

The ship pulsed blue. The Emerald inside the beacon glowed bright green, which made the entire device shine. Anybody looking out a window wouldn't see this as the ship blue-shifted all of a sudden. A subspace tear appeared that was bright white. The engines blasted and the _Acorn_ and her crew disappeared.

Once inside, the outside pulsed white. Blast shields slid over to protect their eyes. "What's our ETA back?" "Unknown ma'am." The Navigator said. "You _did_ input the coordinates the _Phoenix_ used to get here right?" West asked. "Yes ma'am I did." Kylie nodded. "Good. I have to call this in."

"_Attention all personnel, this is Commander West. It appears that we have made a smooth transition through the gateway and are on a straight course home. Relax guys, it's over_." The COM shut off. Captain Chris Vennettilli sat on his bunk smiling. It was over. They were finally going back home. He visualized Earth, how much had changed in a few short years? Did anything change at all? Everybody thought they were dead…some of them _were_ dead. He realized with a sad thought that he would have to tell Mrs. Perry that her husband was killed. Normally the XO or senior officer of a ship would notify the family, but seeing as how they were all _dead_, the responsibility fell unto him. He would also do it in person. He owed Alan that much.

"_Got a new contact, materializing around the L5 Lagrange!_" The MAC station _Edmonton_ had reported seeing a glow in that area. All ships in the immediate area were called there. "Move forward. If they're hostile, take them out." Vice Admiral Gerome Andsworth said. "_Copy that, Admiral. Looks like they're coming through._" Rear Admiral Smith of the UNSC _Banebridge_ said. There was a flash and a ship flew out of nowhere. It was unlike any model Andsworth had seen at all. He pushed the magnification on his ship to view it in greater detail. It was moving way too fast, but he noticed an eagle on the back "wings" not built unlike frigates. What caught him off guard, was the speech coming through:

"_Attention, Attention, is anybody receiving this transmission? Red Freq, Red Freq_." Smith asked, "_Red Freq? That's MAF lingo_." Gerome didn't chance it. This ship was barely 100 meters long and wasn't any model they had, although the smooth edged looked slightly familiar. "We read you…uh…unidentified ship. Please state your name and business." He said this with such clarity but he ordered the TAC officer onboard his flagship, the _Indomitable_ to arm one of their nukes. "_Yes, of course. This is the UNSC frigate _Acorn_, FFG-3216, repeat, UNSC _Acorn_, FFG-3216. Commander Kylie West, former XO on the UNSC _Phoenix_!_"

Andsworth clenched his jaw. He was surprised to hear the name. It was impossible though. They were supposed to be dead, yet here they were. Something was wrong. The _Phoenix _wasn't there though. "How do I know this isn't a trick?" There was silence on the channel. "_Admiral, this is Captain Vennettilli, UNSC _Indomitable_, 3234._" That sealed the deal. Andsworth knew every officer's voice he ever met, let alone his right hand man. "Captain? You're alive! Where's Alan? Where's the _Phoenix_?" "_Dead sir…they're all dead._"

Gerome mourned for Alan. He was a fine officer and his crew idolized him. He was gone. So is the nature of being a soldier. He put that aside though as the men and women he thought dead were back home where they belonged. "It's good to hear your voice son. Find a place to land. Welcome home, everyone, welcome home."


	30. Chapter 29: Homecoming

Chapter 29: Homecoming

January 20th, 3238, 0911 hours

Windsor International Airport

Windsor, Ontario

The _Acorn_ glided down from the atmosphere. The landscape around them was strangely devoid of a multitude of buildings. Windsor was a large city of 10 million citizens, but mainly they lived in larger arcologies located near the city of Detroit. There were many hi-rises but grassy fields were plenty here. The Airport itself wasn't a spaceport so mainly planes landed here. The UNSC demanded special clearance for the frigate. The ship unloaded her landing gear. The 100 meter ship touched down and bounced slightly as the tires took most of the brunt. The engines slowly deactivated and a group of techs ran to the ship to get her connected and fixed up.

The ramp descended and the Captain was the first one down. He was expecting a happy welcome but instead, guns were pointed at him. "What the fuck is this?" he said startled. "Sir, step towards us." The sergeant said. "What" "Sir, I am Leftenant Francois Besoin. We are taking you into custody." More marines came down the "What's going on here?" Banks responded, his helmet tucked under his arm. "Your ship was not scheduled to land."

Tyrell laughed. "Look at these cops! We're Marines, _bitch_." The Lieutenant sighed. "_Mon Dieu_. Look, I don't care. Come with me!" "Look, I'm Captain Chris Vennettilli, 182nd Marine Division. Out of New York? We can work something out here, Lieutenant!" A winded police officer ran from the main terminal. "Leftenant! Leftenant! Urgent call from HIGHCOM!" Lieutenant Besoin's moustache frizzed for a second. "Give it to me, lad. Go on, beat it!"

He placed the phone to his ear. "Yes, sir?" There was a moment. Besoin flinched a couple times, wincing as he heard it. "Oh, no need for that sir! We can arrange that! Why don't we just pretend this never happened, eh? Yes sir. Thank you sir." He closed the phone. Through gritted teeth he asked, "Would you like a ride?" Commander West folded her arms and smiled. "That would be nice."

An RCMP escort brought them to the closest UNSC base, which was located downtown. They saluted the Marines as they left the warthogs. As the receptionist directed them in the right direction, she said, "He wants to see the CO first!" They came to a set of stairs that led to an office. West went first, taking her cap off and ringing it in her hands. "You think he'll be angry?" she asked the Captain. "Why would he be angry?" "Well, with Alan dead…" "Kylie, nobody could have seen that coming." "Thanks…I guess. And it's Commander, Marine." She cracked a small smile "My apologies ma'am." Vennettilli said saluting. She took a deep breath and walked into the office.

The others waited three quarters of an hour before West walked out unfazed. "So, how did it go?" "Pretty good! You're up next, Captain." Chris nodded and walked in. Gerome Andsworth was sitting in a chair with the blinds semi-closed behind him. "Sit down, Captain." He said. This was unlike Andsworth. Chris cocked his head curiously. Whenever Gerome saw Chris after a mission, he was usually happy. Of course, most of his jobs were done well. Was this a failure? They had gotten home safe and sound with alien technology! The Admiral should practically be kissing him now! Chris slid into the chair. "I've read whatever mission report you could have done on the way here. Good job." "Thank you sir." "You've certainly covered some ground. My men are looking over the weapons and armor on your ship. I do want to remind you though that a UNSC ship has been lost with all hands. Since I am the commanding officer of that fleet, I have to _personally_ address all of their families on how they died." He banged his fist on the table, which made his glass of whiskey bounce. "I DON'T LIKE THAT!"

"Ooh, doesn't sound like it's going well." Tails said wincing. Sally placed a palm to her face and massaged her temple.

"Sir, I would like to say that Captain Perry's death was unforeseeable." "That may be. In the report I read, Alan managed to cripple the flagship but he didn't destroy it! Why is that?" "Sir, I couldn't say. Me and my crew were planetside at the time." "Sure, right." He exhaled.

"I…uh…you're going to have to excuse my behavior, Captain. Things are going just…" his moustache ruffled searching for a good word. "…peachy here." "Uh huh." "In truth I wasn't expecting you or your men to survive. Hell, when I thought you were gone, you were gone. You were heading to a new universe unexplored and untested; I was assuming I saw the tail end of you all." He flipped through the file. "That new ship, she has a whole bunch of new toys. Stuff I've never seen before. Proton torpedoes, lasers, shielding systems…this is one advanced bird. We're going to need to take her in and look her over."

"Admiral, with respect, Commander West wanted the ship to be the new flag vessel for the Mobian fleet." "I've discussed this with West. That's not her decision to make. The Admiralty reports to me and I make the decisions. She'll be brought to Mars in about a month, two weeks. We'll be upgrading all of our ships as soon as profits increase enough. Now, to a more important issue…" he pulled out one particular page of the report. "This 'bomb' as it was said here, it is real?" "Yes sir." "And it's located in the center of the Milky Way?" "Dead center, sir." Andsworth's brow furrowed. "It's as bad as we thought."

Chris almost didn't catch that. "Wait…what did you say?" Andsworth seemed genuinely confused. "What?" "What did you say just a second before?" the Admiral's mouth gaped for half a second. "I…I said nothing…" "You knew! You knew all along!" "Captain, this is classified information." "My ass it is! You knew this information and you were keeping it from us!" "Captain, I'm warning you, you're bordering on insubordination!" "You bastard! All these years and not a single mention of it?" "CAPTAIN!" "How long?" "What?" "How long! How long have you known?!"

Andsworth looked absolutely furious with himself. "I…fifty years." Chris fell back into his chair and laughed nervously. "Fifty years. Fifty _fucking_ years! Were you planning on telling us twenty four hours before the damn thing went off so we could have a dramatic moment?" "I wanted to! I wanted to but I had my orders! ONI gave us the commands! They were signed by President Monroe!" "Oh yes, Monroe! _The Nixon of '88_. That was what the headlines said. The man was wrapped up in so much red tape bullshit he never paid attention to his own people!" "Captain! Quiet down." Chris clamped his mouth shut. "It's a top secret project we're working on, forty five years in the making. The details are classified, but I wanted to ask you if you wanted to be onboard with this."

"Explain." "I can't. Not directly. Listen, at least sleep on the prospect. Believe me when I say that you and your men are the only ones who can help us here." "I'll tell them." "Good. Captain, this is no prescript line you're hearing from me. This is coming from the bottom of my own heart: You might save the galaxy." After glancing into Chris' eyes, he said. "Until then, I believe you've fulfilled your tour?" "Sir, I fulfilled my tour four years ago." "Then by order of the UNSC Service Bill, you and your men are temporarily discharged with honors." "A Discharge?!"

"Honorable discharge, Captain, relax. You've fulfilled the terms of duty and I feel that you have the right to spend some time outside the military. As I am the senior chairman of the Admiralty, I have the right set your leave until we may recall you." "How long is that, sir?" Andsworth smiled. "As long as it takes. You are dismissed, Captain. Have a happy life, make some acquaintances, and tie up loose ends. You might need them where you're going." "Thank you sir." Chris stood and shook Andsworth's hand.

He walked out calmly. "So, what did he want?" Sally asked. "Effective immediately, we're all discharged. We'll be called on again when we're needed." "That's it?" The Master Chief asked. "No, apparently ONI knew that bomb existed fifty years before we did." "What?!" Johnson said angrily. "Yeah, I'm pissed too. Apparently President Monroe kept it all hush-hush." "Monroe? _Nixon of '88_? What a dick." Sally said equally as angry. "Now, we're being relieved of duty until he's finished with some project they've been working on since then. It's done when it's done." "Hopefully within the next 100 years." Rouge said. "Just one job I have to do."

"I don't know why you brought me along, Chris." Sally said. She smoothed the wrinkles out of her dress uniform. "I hate skirts." "Cool it, princess. I wanted you for moral support, also just in case I freeze up." "Freeze up? You've never done this before?" "Never for an officer."

They were in an elevator going up the side of a building. Beyond them was the cityscape of Cincinnati, Ohio. The Ohio River itself was a blue ribbon that cut through the cityscape crossed by a few bridges. The afternoon sun was high in the sky. The elevator stopped at the 117th floor. They walked down a hall. "You look nice in heels." "Fuck you. They're killing my feet." "Miss your boots?" "Very." They arrived at a door. "This the place?" "_Yup. 117-84_." NICOLE said. Chris brought his knuckle up to knock, but he sighed and lowered it. "Chris. I know its' hard. You're sad that you're alive when everyone else died. I'm sad too that the Captain was killed. You couldn't do anything. Look what we did though! We came back! We brought back technology that could help us in the long run!" "Yeah, at the cost of four hundred lives."

"Please, put it behind you. You have to do this." He nodded. "See why I brought you now?" She smiled and rubbed his shoulder. "That's what I'm here for human." He rapped the door three times and waited. The same woman from the photograph answered. She had a drink in her hand. "Yes, can I help you?" "Mrs. Perry, I'm Captain Vennettilli. I was working with your husband when we disappeared. "Where is Alan?" she asked glancing up and down the hall. "You see, that's the thing, Mrs. Perry."

The next thing Chris heard was the sound of shattering glass and he felt the wet liquid splashing onto his trousers. The look on the woman's face was one of pained surprise. He glanced at Sally who looked back sadly. "I'm sorry." He said with soft tone.

The Master Chief stood before a console. Cortana was in her holographic form staring back. "Is this what you want, Cortana?" "I've never been surer of anything in my life. I've realized there are some things that are worth living for. I guess the Captain and the Princess taught me that." "The doctors said it wouldn't be pleasant." "Yes, but the end result…" "Fingers crossed then."

"Sir, we're ready to begin." A scientist said. "Alright. Turn it on." "I'll see you soon, John." She flickered out. A body was suspended in fluid inside a container. It was slightly distorted with the greenish fluid around it. "Engaging." The body bucked, jolted by electrical charges. A few more minutes later, it was still. "Procedure complete, draining fluid."

The tank slowly drained. Chief walked close to the edge and looked in. The body was that of a female. She had a slender body, red hair, and full lips. He smiled. "Cortana?" she opened her eyes and smiled. "Hello John."

They arrived back in the Mobius a couple days later. The first second that the ships crossed the dimensional barrier that separated the two universes, every single anthro jumped for joy. The _Acorn_ was brought there with two escort frigates the _Columbia_ and the _Somme_ just to make sure she didn't disappear again. The sight of the blue planet even evoked a proud response out of the humans as well. Mobius was their port in the storm. Their inhabitants had been happily open to the human race and accepted them all. It served as an example for what humanity could achieve as well.

The ship landed at Mobius International Airport the same way she did on Earth except here, a long line of military guards ran to meet them. The soldiers look at the ship with awe and wonder. One even slid his hand over the near invisible shield to see how it worked. The ramp extended and the Marines trooped out first. They formed two parallel lines and stood to. "Atten-_Shun!_" a sergeant commanded.

Every marine raised a hand to salute Commander West as she descended. They also saluted since the princess followed her. Sally saw the Captain holding his hand to his temple as if carved from rock. He was expressionless. She knew better however." When the lines of servicemen ended, she saw her parents standing near their transports. They were amazed to see her. Without warning, she ran towards them. They also ran to meet their daughter. In the center, they collided in a hug that could shatter bones.

Sally was crying. She was so happy to be back in her loving parents' arms. She felt tears run down her cheeks into the fabric of her father's jacket. She was startled when she saw the he was crying too. Her mother was also sobbing. "We thought we lost you." He said. "You did?" "Yes, my dear. When you left, your mother and I felt as if we were dying, as if a piece was taken out of our hearts. But you're back! You're back! It's a miracle!" "Where's Sonic?" At that, he looked at her. "Sonic? I know it may be hard to comprehend dear, but he and Amy are now together." "WHAT?!" "Yes, it seems when you disappeared, he was beside himself with sadness and anger. One of the guards even found a gun in his room…with just one bullet." "I…wow." He mother then spoke. "Then Amy came to comfort him, tell him that it was all right. I guess he finally saw how much she cared about him." "They aren't…married are they?" "No, not yet. They're still working the 'kinks' out of their relationship, but I've heard less screaming over the years." Sally laughed with tears still in her eyes. "I've missed you so much." "I know. Come on let's go home. I'll bet you have lots to tell us."

The palace was nice and calm. The afternoon sun was high in the sky and gentle tendrils of sunlight poked through the windows, scattering dust that was floating in the air. Nobody was inside the hall. Sally walked to the center and exhaled with gratitude. "Man, does it feel good to be back." "My thoughts exactly." She whirled around to see a human leaning on one of the pillars. "Oh, hey Chris." "Afternoon your highness. Feels good being back in this place. I almost forgot what it felt like." "Yeah. I feel so…at home here. Too bad some of the others never came back though."

Chris then said, "Well, this has taught us one thing." "What's that?" "We really can't forget what we have here. We've been gone for three years and we never forgot about where we came from. Sal, I never want to forget what I have ever again." "Chris…?" "This cost me most of my salary." He said digging into his pocket. "Sal? Princess Sally Alicia Acorn?" He opened the box he had. Inside, it was ring, a brilliant ring with an equally brilliant jewel on it. "Chris…" "Sally Alicia Acorn, I ask you here today, after all we've been through, after all we've done, will you be my wife?"

Her heart stopped. I actually skipped a beat or two. Sally was stunned. She looked at the ring, then she looked at the man holding it, then to the ring again…" "Chris, I…I…I…" He sighed. "Yeah, I figured this would happen. Didn't really cross my mind until I walked in here. Guess I should have thought it would happen." "What would happen?" He took a second answering that. "That…you'd refuse. Forget it. I've got to get my stuff together-" "Chris." "Yes?" "I never said no."

"Excuse me?" "I never said I refused." She grabbed his shoulders. "Christopher James Vennettilli, after all we've been through, after all we've done, I would be happy to be your wife!" She kissed him without a further word. He embraced her tightly. He stroked her hair softly. "Wait! What about the whole royal thing? I hadn't thought that through!" She laughed. "Don't worry, I can be pretty persuasive with them." "Sally, I've never been any more happier or sure with anything in my life." "It's time a whole lot of good happened in your life."

Chris smiled ear to ear. He lifted Sally into the air and they swung around and around, both of them laughing, full of delight. At that time and in that place, they truly were the happiest people in the universe.

/End Transmission/


	31. Chapter 30: Epilogue

Chapter 30: Epilogue

January 24th, 3238, 1125 hours

Mobius

Knothole Kingdom

"I can't believe it!" Sonic the Hedgehog said laughing. "You two are actually going to get married?!" Chris folded his leg. "Yeah, pretty unexpected, huh?" "Yeah, unexpected alright." He opened a can of soda. "What I want to know is why you didn't bother to tell me sooner, Sal." Sally blushed. "Well, tell you the truth I felt that you would go crazy if I did. I thought you would seriously hurt him, even kill him."

At that, both men laughed. "Princess, I think we both know that will never happen!" the hedgehog said. "This guy wouldn't last ten seconds against me." "Funny, I was thinking the same thing only _I _was kicking your ass!" Chris leaned back and looked around the room he was in. It was an elaborate apartment. Some pink wallpaper was spread in some sections while others were dominated by metallic blue. "I see you and Amy moved in together."

He held up his finger to indicate he was swallowing. "…Yeah, she actually isn't that bad now that I get to know here. Had I known she was such a nymph, my God…" "So that's what you find most attractive about her, you horndog?" "No, she really does care about me. It was about…three weeks after you guys disappeared. I…I thought about killing myself. Sal, up until that point, you were everything to me. I thought you were dead. I was bad, hitting the bottle more often, sleepless nights, she came to me. She told me she knew how I was feeling. We hugged, we talked, and we went back home. I guess that's how it all happened."

"She _is _a very special woman, Sonic." Chris nodded. "I knew that the moment I first met her." It was at that moment that Amy walked through the door, arms laden with groceries. "Hey Sonnikun, I have some stuff and…OH MY GOD! GUYS, I JUST HEARD, I JUST HEARD THE GOOD NEWS!" She hurriedly dropped the bags on the table and rushed to meet them. "When I heard you guys were back on the planet I just tried to get to you, then I hear that you proposed…!" She hugged Chris with such force. He hugged back. "You're very sweet to say that. Tell you the truth; I didn't think she would say yes." She playfully slapped him on the leg. "You funny Human."

"So, when is the wedding?" "We don't know." Vennettilli said. "We just figure we'll cruise for a little while. We've only been back together just a little less than a month. We need to 'get to know each other' again." Amy winked. "Oh yeah, me and Sonnikun got to know each other a _whole lot_." Sonic cleared his throat. "So, I hear Eggman is doing hard time?" "Hell yes he is. They shipped him off to the Nevada Ultimate Security Prison, most locked up place in the sector. Fat man isn't getting out." "Heard we also have a Jedi now!" the hedgehog said with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah. Jolee's started up a 'dojo' with Corporal Claire Poisson. They're using it to hone abilities of people touched with the Force or the equivalent of it here." The Human said.

Amy sat on the couch arm. "I heard about what you've been through while you were missing. It must have been very lonely." Chris nodded. "It was. Since I was separated, I kept a picture of tomboy here by my bedside and cockpit. It really was sad…" "Oh shit, speaking of separation, did they find Elias yet?" "Shit, why did you have to bring that up?" "He's not dead is he?!" Sally said, her eyes growing wide. "What? No, no. At least, we don't think so." "Explain." Chris said leaning forward. Sally barely ever talked about her brother at all. "Uh, they found a ship near New Saturn. It had your family's markings on it. When the _Red Rover_-that's a human frigate- found it, all the compartments were blown out, including the cockpit. Strangely enough, there were no bodies. None at all." "So there is a chance." Sally breathed. "So where the _fuck_ is he?"

"One more thing, this beacon you guys set up, you put it in a safe place, right?" "Yeah, in the middle of a black hole cluster. Only one way in and most people would have to be crazy to try and get in." Sonic leaned forward. "I'd watch out, human. Based on what I've heard, there are some people who just me be that crazy."

Space. She is a calm mother, she nurtures life in her breast, she keeps those safe, but she is also a cruel mistress: unforgiving, pressing, and sometimes, downright cruel. This is a place where she is relentless. Get too close and suffer her infinite wrath.

The beacon floated in space. It was barely moving at all, the micro thrusters giving only the tinniest propulsion. It remained there, undisturbed, safe. Or so it seemed. Something then came to disturb the calm wait of the beacon. It was a long, wedge shaped spaceship, easily more than a kilometer long. It coasted through the night in this black hole cluster without the least regard for the destructive forces at work here.

On its bridge, people scurried from station to station, checking on the monster ship. At the front, facing triangular viewports stood two men in solitude. "My Lord, it seems we have located what you have sought." Nothing responded for a second, and then, raspy breathing. "Good. I have followed this trail for quite some time. I feel relieved to see its end." "My Lord this is technically not part of our mission here. We are to survey the area to make sure it is perfect for the battle station." "The location is perfect, Governer, I assure you. What interests me," he pointed out into space, "is this beacon. For many months now I have pored over the details laid down by my forbearers, months of searching, research and theory, and here is the end result." "But my Lord, we have only read what it can do." "Then harness it. Harness the pure energy that comes from it. It will be but the perfect power source for the laser."

"Is that all you plan to do with it, my Lord?" "No. I have read that it was a passage to another world, another universe perhaps." "Another…oh, my Lord, surely you are just speculating." "Are you so brave as to question my reliability, Governor?" The man backed down, his sunken face lined with fear. "No, my Lord, not at all. But, what will the Emperor say of this?" "The Emperor is none of my concern at the moment. You will send a scout to survey the beacon. Order them not to tamper with it. Failure to comply will result in…harsh penalties. You are dismissed, Governor Tarkin."

The man smiled slightly, the opportunity to conquer new universes appeared to him. Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin couldn't resist the urge to take what was rightfully laid down in front of them. I would be foolish not to. He bowed deeply. "As you command, my Lord Vader." He walked away, leaving the Sith Lord to stand and stare into face, mask obscuring his face from view, breathing in and out, in and out, planning the rise of a new empire.


End file.
